The Age of Persuasion

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Terry O'Reilly and Mike Tennant talk about The Age of Persuasion on Bookbits radio.

The Age of Persuasion is a Canadian radio series which aired on CBC Radio One for 107 episodes over five seasons between 2006 and 2011, and also broadcast on Chicago public radio station WBEZ. A sequel to the earlier O'Reilly on Advertising , the series is hosted by Terry O'Reilly and explores the sociological and cultural impact of advertising on modern life.

Contents

Each episode uses humour and numerous excerpts from historical radio broadcasts and commercials to make its point.

Many episodes are available in streaming MP3 format from the program's CBC website. Some are available in podcast form at the unofficial site CBC Podcasts. On December 24, 2010 the Age of Persuasion blog announced [1] that the CBC would be podcasting the show starting in January 2011.

The show's creators, Terry O'Reilly and Mike Tennant, have released a book: The Age of Persuasion: How Marketing Ate Our Culture, (Knopf Canada & Vintage Paperbacks). The book is published in the United States by Counterpoint Press.

As late as November 2011, O'Reilly had indicated that a sixth season of AoP would begin that January. [2] However, in December 2011, O'Reilly revealed that AoP would in fact be replaced at that time by a new series, Under the Influence , reflecting the shift of marketing from a "one-way conversation" to a "delicate dialogue". [3]

Episode list

Note: Starting in season 2, episodes in italics are repeat broadcasts. Links in the episode title take you to an online copy of the episode. Links in the date take you to a summary only.

Season 1

Ep #Episode TitleBroadcast Date
1x01Clutter2006-09-07
1x02The Language of Persuasion2006-09-14
1x03Rinse and Repeat 2006-09-21
1x04Yoots - Youth Marketing 2006-09-28
1x05The Lesson of Clark Gable's Undershirt 2006-10-05
1x06The Long and Short of It 2006-10-12
1x07 Breaking the Contract 2006-10-19
1x08The Rise and Fall and Rise of Branded Entertainment 2006-10-26
1x09 The Human Face of Persuasion 2006-11-02
1x10All the World's a Marketing Opportunity 2006-11-09
1x11Walk 1.6 Kilometres in My Shoes 2006-11-16
1x12Strange But True Tales of Market Research 2006-11-23
1x13Love, Marriage and Sexual Tension 2006-11-30
1x14Branding a Nation 2006-12-07
1x15The Persuasive Power of Storytelling 2007-01-15
1x16Protecting the Celebrity Brand 2007-01-25
1x17Goin' to the Show: Super Bowl Ads 2007-02-01
1x18 A Sense of Persuasion 2007-02-08
1x19 Leaving Your Mark 2007-02-15
1x20 The YouTube Revolution

The trends in media usage by advertisers are examined, from the rise and fall of radio and television advertising, to viral videos and non-media "idea" advertising.

2007-03-03
1x21 By Any Other Name 2007-03-08
1x22 Guerrillas in Our Midst 2007-03-29
1x23 Frontiers and Boundaries 2007-04-05
1x24 Reviving the Brand 2007-04-12
1x25 It's the Insight, Stupid! 2007-04-19
1x26 Award in Edgewise 2007-04-26
1x27 The Wall of Cynicism 2007-05-31
1x28 The Future of Persuasion 2007-06-14
1x29 Do This or Die 2007-06-21

Season 2

Ep #Broadcast #Episode TitleBroadcast Date
2x01201 There's Never a Marques of Queensbury Around When You Need One 2008-01-12
2x02202 The Sport of Persuasion 2008-01-19
2x03203 Old Media, New Media, Borrowed Media, Blue Media 2008-01-26
2x04204 Branding the News 2008-02-02
1x22205 Guerillas in our Midst 2008-02-09
2x05206 Everything I Need to Know About Life I Learned from Agency Pitches 2008-02-16
1x19207 Leaving Your Mark 2008-02-23
2x06208 23 things I'd Like to Change About Advertising 2008-03-01
1x24209 Reviving the Brand 2008-03-08
2x07210 The Trouble with Big 2008-03-15
2x08211 Royal Jelly 2008-03-22
2x09212 Advertisers as Censors 2008-03-29
1x26213 Award in Edgewise 2008-04-05
2x10214 Crowd Control 2008-04-12
2x11215 The Strategy of Persuasion

The importance of a strategy in advertising.

2008-04-19
2x12216 In Defence of Advertising

Terry O'Reilly defends advertising, arguing that an advertisement-free world would not be as nice as some people might think.

2008-04-26
1x25217 It's the Insight, Stupid!

The importance of an insight in modern persuasion.

2008-05-03
2x13218 Emotion

Why the best advertisers win customers through the heart, not with facts.

2008-05-10
2x14219 The Myth of Mass Marketing

An examination of the myth of "mass marketing" and the effectiveness of one-on-one selling.

2008-05-17
2x15220 Selling War

How advertising has been used (and is still being used) to recruit soldiers and create support for wars.

2008-05-24
1x23221 Frontiers and Boundaries

An examination of how what is acceptable in an advertising has changed over time and how this reflects the change in a society's values.

2008-05-31
2x16222 Advertising as the New Sugar Daddy

A short history of sponsorship in advertising.

2008-06-07
2x17223 Persuasion in the Niches

How (and why) the one-size-fits-all mass marketing is being replaced with marketing targeted at smaller market niches.

2008-06-14
2x18224 Six Remarkable Brands

Examples of six remarkable brands - including a media icon (Oprah Winfrey), a rock and roll band (The Beatles), an athlete (Muhammad Ali), a toy (Lego), a city (Las Vegas), and a large animal (polar bear).

2008-06-21

Season 3 [4]

Ep #Broadcast #Episode TitleBroadcast Date
3x01301 A Taste for Blood: Direct Marketing 2009-01-05
3x02302 Recession Marketing 2009-01-12
3x03303 Nasty is the New Nice 2009-01-19
3x04304 Rethink the Shark 2009-01-26
3x05305 According to Hoyle 2009-02-02
1x09306 The Human Face of Persuasion 2009-02-07
1x07307 Breaking the Contract 2009-02-14
3x06308 Commandeering Holidays 2009-02-19
3x07309 Great Canadian Campaigns 2009-03-07
3x08310 Repetition Repetition Repetition 2009-03-09
3x09311 Sun Tzu and the Art of... Persuasion 2009-03-16
3x01312 A Taste for Blood: Direct Marketing 2009-03-23
3x10313 Selling God 2009-03-30
3x11314 Brand Loyalty 2009-04-06
3x12315 Big and Small 2009-04-13
3x02316 Recession Marketing 2009-04-20
3x13317 The Real Deal: Authenticity 2009-04-27
3x14318 The Myths of Persuasion 2009-05-04
3x15319 Marketing the Invisible 2009-05-11
3x07320 Great Canadian Campaigns 2009-05-18
3x16321 Entertainment or Nothing 2009-05-25
3x17322 The Museum of Persuasion 2009-06-01
3x18323 Urban Legends 2009-06-08
3x19324 Embracing New Media 2009-06-15
3x20325 Ask Terry (2009) 2009-06-22

Season 4 [4]

Ep #Broadcast #Episode TitleBroadcast Date
4x01401 Marketing the Unpleasant 2010-01-02
4x02402 Buzz 2010-01-09
4x03403 Pitchmen 2010-01-16
4x04404 Heroes & Villains 2010-01-23
4x05405 Persuasion Fail 2010-01-30
4x06406 Slogans 2010-02-06
4x07407 Categories 2010-02-13
4x08408 Are People Idiots? 2010-02-20
4x09409 Being There: Selling Experiences 2010-02-27
4x01410 Marketing the Unpleasant 2010-03-06
4x10411 All Things Being Equal: Parity Products 2010-03-13
4x11412 Context 2010-03-20
4x02413 Buzz 2010-03-27
4x12414 Oddballs: Singular Campaigns 2010-04-03
4x13415 Privacy 2010-04-10
4x03416 Pitchmen 2010-04-17
4x14417 Where Power Resides 2010-04-24
4x15418 Profiles in (Marketing) Courage 2010-05-01
4x16419 Negative Advertising 2010-05-08
4x17420 Opportunism 2010-05-15
4x18421 A Few More Remarkable Brands 2010-05-22
4x19422 Ask Terry Some More 2010-05-29
4x20423 Looking For the Admen in Madmen [5] 2010-06-05

Season 5

Ep #Broadcast #Episode TitleBroadcast Date
5x01501 It's Not Easy Being Green: Green Marketing 2011-01-08
5x02502 Luxury Advertising 2011-01-15
5x03503 Candid Commercials: Real People in Advertising 2011-01-22
5x04504 Caution: Speed Bumps. The Magical Ingredient in Marketing 2011-01-29
5x05505 Marketing Pioneers 2011-02-05
5x06506 Even More Remarkable Brands 2011-02-12
4x01507 Marketing the Unpleasant 2011-02-19
5x07508 AOP Goes to the Movies 2011-02-26
5x08509 The Commercials You Grew Up With 2011-02-02
5x09510 Burn The Boats: Brands That Risked and Won 2011-03-12
4x03511 Pitchmen 2011-03-19
5x10512 Mad Women: The Great Women of Advertising 2011-03-26
5x11513 Dynamic Duos: The Famous Partnerships in Advertising 2011-04-02
5x12514 Three Foot Marketing: The Battleground In-Store 2011-04-09
4x10515 All Things Being Equal: The Fascinating World of Parity Products 2011-04-15
5x13516 The Happy Homemaker: How Advertising Invented the Housewife (Part One) 2011-04-22
5x14517 The Happy Homemaker: How Advertising Invented the Housewife (Part Two) 2011-04-30
5x15518 Genericide: When a Brand Becomes Generic 2011-05-06
4x17519 Opportunism 2011-05-13
5x16520 The Sound of Persuasion 2011-05-21
5x17521 Ageism in Advertising 2011-05-28
4x06522 Slogans 2011-06-05
5x18523 Terry's Book Club 2011-06-11
5x19524 Diversity in Advertising 2011-06-18
5x20525 Ask Terry Again 2011-06-25

Opening theme

The title theme, composed by Ari Posner and Ian LeFeuvre, consists of a series of ten sound clips from ads and speeches, played over the theme music. Static is heard between each clip, giving the impression of changing between stations on a radio. The title is announced in the middle of the clips. In each episode, one clip is different, similar to the couch gag in the opening to The Simpsons .

Theme lyrics

Season 1

Read. My. Lips. / This is the CBS News / I've fallen and I can't get up! / Don't be a square / The only thing we have to fear is... / (clip) / And now, Terry O'Reilly and The Age of Persuasion / Oh, the humanity! / Chops, dices, minces / Yeeeargh! / It's that simple.

Season 2

I want chicken, I want liver / "I wanna bottle of Coca-Cola!" "Sonny..." / That's a spicy meat-a-ball! / Hey, great, a toothpaste should fight cavities / I can't believe I ate that whole... / (clip) / And now, Terry O'Reilly and The Age of Persuasion / Ho, ho, ho / Hoo-hoo! / Mamma mia! / There you go again.

Season 3

I'm Barack Obama, and I approve this message / "Another cup of Maxwell House coffee, George?" "Sure, pour me a cup, Gracie!" / Hoo-wah! / "Hello, I'm a Mac," "And I'm a PC!" "Whooooo!" "Whoo!" / The only thing we have to fear is... / (clip) / And now, Terry O'Reilly and The Age of Persuasion / Bromo-Seltzer, Bromo-Seltzer, Bromo-Seltzer... / Got milk? / Don't leave home without it / Isn't that amazing?

Season 4

I'm not a doctor, but I play one on TV / It's the fishing invention of the century / This is only a test / It's Patrick, he took out life insurance / I'm not only the Hair Club president, I'm also a client / The only thing we have to fear is... / (clip) / And now, Terry O'Reilly and The Age of Persuasion / Takes a licking and keeps on ticking / He likes it! Hey, Mikey! / Yes! We! Can!

Season 5

Hello, ladies / Tacos... fettuccine, linguine, martini, bikini / Wow, what's that aftershave you're wearing? / Cough suppressant as effective as codeine, but not narcotic / It'll keep your kids quiet for hours / Tonight's episode brought to you by / (clip) / And now, Terry O'Reilly and The Age of Persuasion / We are not afraid to get mavericky in there / Ha-ha-ha-haaa / Thank you for your support.

Running gags

End Credits

(Seasons 1–4)

(Season 5)

Awards

New York Festivals, World's Best Radio Programs & Promotions

AOP Goes to the Movies

Speed Bumps

Grand Award: AOP Goes to the Movies

New York Festivals, World's Best Radio Programs & Promotions

The Happy Homemaker: How Advertising Invented the Housewife

Luxury Advertising

Grand Award: The Happy Homemaker: How Advertising Invented the Housewife

References

  1. Age of Persuasion blog 24 Dec 2010 The Age of Persuasion has some BIG news
  2. O'Reilly, Terry (2011-11-21). "Tweet from Terry O'Reilly: "Back Jan. 7th RT @DetectedTachyon: @AgeOfPersuasion Hey Terry, when do you get back on the air with AoP?"". Twitter . Retrieved 2011-12-12.
  3. O'Reilly, Terry. "Welcome to a Brand New Radio Show" . Retrieved 2011-12-12.
  4. 1 2 The Age of Persuasion at CBC Radio
  5. Names for episodes taken from Mike Tennant's Age of Persuasion FAQ, updated 30 March 2010