Ad Infinitum

In Ad Infinitum Season 2, Episode 10 - "Congruent Cues," Stew sits down with Chelsea Campbell, Group Creative Director at Studio Resonate, to explore the science of persuasive audio advertising.Together, they dissect the alchemy of sound, diving into psychoacoustics, sonic branding, and how congruence in audio drives listener engagement through analysis of top spenders like Progressive, T-Mobile, and The Home Depot.Support the showAd Infinitum is Presented by Oxford Road, Produced by Caitlyn Spring & Ezra Fox, mixed & sound designed by Zach Hahn, and written & hosted by Stew Redwine.

In Ad Infinitum Season 2, Episode 9 - "Simulacrum Ex Machina," Stew welcomes Oskar Serrander (Co-Founder/CEO of Wondercraft) to talk about Wondercraft's origins and recent launch, how to think in audio, and the most important audio factor: Ryan Reynolds.Plus–breaking down ~$20M in audio ads from Magellan.ai's Top Podcast Sepnders Breakdown, including advertisers BetterHelp, Toyota, Whole Foods, and Mint Mobile (Guess which one’s the best/hint: Ryan Reynolds).Support the showAd Infinitum is Presented by Oxford Road, Produced by Caitlyn Spring & Ezra Fox, mixed & sound designed by Zach Hahn, and written & hosted by Stew Redwine.

Ad Infinitum is the only podcast solely focused on audio ads - the creatives who make them and/or the latest thinking that informs them how the space is evolving - AND, usually, a round-up of recent audio ads and analysis by host Stew Redwine and each episode's guest - BUT, this episode is a little different.This is Season 2, Episode 9 of Ad Infinitum, and this episode's title is "Sonic Truths." It discusses the evolution of McDonald's sonic branding and its current and future audio recipes with guest JJ Healan, Vice President of U.S. Marketing, Brand Content, and Culture at McDonald's.JJ is an expert on brand strategy, content creation, innovative marketing techniques, and a lot of fun! Enjoy listening to what has helped define McDonald's sound over the years: a focus on fan truths, striking the balance of freedom and constraints, and a commitment to collaboration by "sharing the pen."Support the showAd Infinitum is Presented by Oxford Road, Produced by Caitlyn Spring & Ezra Fox, mixed & sound designed by Zach Hahn, and written & hosted by Stew Redwine.

In this episode, Stew Redwine and guest Kraig Kitchin discuss the power of audio and its effects on emotions, memory, and perception.They also review and rate top radio advertisers, including Lowe's, The Home Depot, Babbel, and Progressive.The conversation highlights the importance of relevance, entertainment, and clear messaging in audio ads.Special thanks to Premiere Studios for providing studio space in Sherman Oaks, California.Support the showAd Infinitum is Presented by Oxford Road, Produced by Caitlyn Spring & Ezra Fox, mixed & sound designed by Zach Hahn, and written & hosted by Stew Redwine.

In this episode,  "Audio’s Rule of Thirds", Stew Redwine's guest is Mike Jensen, CEO of Rhapsody Voices and they discuss how brands can best connect with hosts, what the ingredients of a persuasive host read ad are, and rating some recent movers and shakers in the podcast space form Magellan.ai’s May 2024 report -  MeUndies, Rakuten, IBM, and monday.com. Audio is replete with threes: first, there’s production: voice-over, sound design, and music. Then, there’s the classic story structure of beginning, middle, and end. Of course, there are also timeless rhetorical appeals: pathos, logos, and ethos. And with Rhapsody Voices, Mike Jensen, focuses on three things to "deliver on the connectivity between the host, the sponsors, and the audience.” Mike's three suggestions for CAO's who want to make the ads work better than ever?Authenticity is key: Authenticity in host-read ads is paramount. A host should be able to demonstrate their genuine connection to the product—otherwise, why else are they reading it?Simplicity: For Mike, authenticity goes hand-in-hand with simplicity. For example, if a Starbucks ad has 20 potential value propositions, the host shouldn’t try to highlight all of them; instead, they should key into one or two things, like the new summer drinks and caffeine-free options. That way, the host can expand on what they genuinely like about the products.Clear call to action: Everyone knows an ad works best when it has a call to action. However, not all CTAs are equal. Triple down on having a clear, concise, and persuasive CTA, and triple-check the copy to make sure it’s solid. After all, a read is only as good as its copy.Special thanks to Benztown Studio for providing the space to record this episode at their recording studio in Glendale, CA.Support the showAd Infinitum is Presented by Oxford Road, Produced by Caitlyn Spring & Ezra Fox, mixed & sound designed by Zach Hahn, and written & hosted by Stew Redwine.

Season 2 Episode 5 of Ad Infinitum is titled "Sound Business is Sound Business" and is all about B2B advertising in audio.We discuss some of the best practices for B2B ad reads, why is audio such a good fit for B2B, particularly podcast, and then rank 4 recent B2B podcast ad spots with one of the best in the business of podcasting and B2B advertising; Hala Taha, CEO and Founder of YAP Media and host of the Young and Profiting Podcast.Support the showAd Infinitum is Presented by Oxford Road, Produced by Caitlyn Spring & Ezra Fox, mixed & sound designed by Zach Hahn, and written & hosted by Stew Redwine.

In this episode, host Stew Redwine discusses the creative approach to scripting fiction podcasts, the role of sponsors and ads in spoken word audio, and analyzes four ads from the Ambie Award-winning podcast Ad Lucem.Stew is joined by two guests:Ray Harkins, Senior Director of Ad Sales at WonderyNathalie Chicha, producer of the 2023 Ambie Award-winning podcast "I Hear Fear"Key points from the discussion:How knowing upfront that ads will be included affects the creative process when scripting a fiction podcast. Nathalie notes that while it can be challenging for listeners to shift from the story into a commercial break, it forces the creators to think strategically about building engaging cliffhangers to retain the audience through the ads.Ray shares insights on selling ads for fiction podcasts and the importance of matching the tone and style of the ads to the show's content.The rise of fiction podcasts and audio storytelling as an alternative to screen-based media. Stew believes there will be increasing growth in this space.The second half of the episode focuses on analyzing four ads from the podcast Ad Lucem:Sonos Era 300 Speaker - rated highly for relevance to an immersive audio experience, but critiqued for not demonstrating the product's capabilities.Twizzlers - seen as a weaker ad without a clear connection to the story themes.Dave Banking App - praised for capturing the financial struggles of the show's young characters, but felt longer than necessary.BetterHelp - the favorite of the four for cleverly integrating the show's AI assistant character into the ad copy.The overall takeaway was that while 60-second ads provide room for storytelling, the additional time must be earned through engaging, relevant content. Shorter ads may be preferable for fiction podcasts unless the extra length enhances the listening experience.Special thanks to Benztown Studio for providing the space to record this episode at their recording studio in Glendale, CA.Support the showAd Infinitum is Presented by Oxford Road, Produced by Caitlyn Spring & Ezra Fox, mixed & sound designed by Zach Hahn, and written & hosted by Stew Redwine.

Season 2 of Ad Infinitum continues with Episode 3, “Branding With Your Eyes Closed,” defining and discussing the importance of sonic branding, and then ranking 4 recent top spenders through that lens.And that’s why this episode's guest is Joel Beckerman - author of The Sonic Boom and Founder of Made Music Studio - a person who is practically synonymous with Sonic Branding whenever it comes up with anyone who is serious about the topic.In this episode of Ad Infinitum, Stew and Joel discuss the importance of sonic branding in audio advertising. They analyze four recent top spenders in radio advertising and evaluate their sonic branding strategies. The conversation highlights the need for consistency, emotional connection, and clear messaging in sonic branding. They also emphasize the value of frequency and long-term commitment to sonic branding. The episode provides insights and examples for chief audio officers and marketers looking to enhance their audio advertising strategies.TakeawaysConsistency is key in sonic branding to create a recognizable and memorable sonic identity.Sonic branding should evoke an emotional connection with the brand and differentiate it from competitors.Clear messaging and information transfer are important in sonic branding to effectively communicate the brand's value proposition.Frequency and long-term commitment to sonic branding can lead to a significant lift in advertising effectiveness.Creating space for the sonic identity to be heard and designing the messaging around it are crucial for successful sonic branding.Support the showAd Infinitum is Presented by Oxford Road, Produced by Caitlyn Spring & Ezra Fox, mixed & sound designed by Zach Hahn, and written & hosted by Stew Redwine.

Season 2 of Ad Infinitum continues with Episode 2, “Hosts are People Too”, discussing the importance of advertisers considering the hosts' humanity on the other end of the talking points. And that's why the guest is a real host and a real person - Jordy Meiselas - one of the three Founders of MeidasTouchNetwork and co-host of The MeidasTouch Podcast.Support the showAd Infinitum is Presented by Oxford Road, Produced by Caitlyn Spring & Ezra Fox, mixed & sound designed by Zach Hahn, and written & hosted by Stew Redwine.

Welcome to Season 2 of Ad Infinitum, this Episode’s title is “Sound Strategy”; discussing the importance of strategy in advertising and ranking 5 recent top spenders in audio (Pfizer, Verizon, Progressive, Apple, and AT&T) through that lens with guest Mark Pollard - podcast host and CEO of Sweathead and Author of Strategy is Your Words.Support the showAd Infinitum is Presented by Oxford Road, Produced by Caitlyn Spring & Ezra Fox, mixed & sound designed by Zach Hahn, and written & hosted by Stew Redwine.