Ad Infinitum

I've been telling a story for years about a Big O Tires shoot in Kansas City that changed the direction of my career. I only recently found out Jordan Brady directed it. By then, he'd already become a friend and mentor. Neither of us knew we'd been on that set together. This turned into the longest Ad Infinitum yet. Jordan and I go back further than either of us realized. Jordan is a commercial director, filmmaker, and host of Respect the Process. We start with Rick Rubin's The Creative Act and talk about trusting the people you hire, delegating the craft, and keeping responsibility for the vision. Jordan shares how he uses AI on commercial projects, when he'd rather work with a human, and when to stop prompting and hand the shot to an editor or visual effects artist. As he puts it, "The tools don't equal the talent." We also get into the people who helped us find our way, the choices that shape a creative career, and what I had to put down to become an executive creative director. Jordan was there for more of those moments than I knew. Then we get the records out. We listen to Bill Burr's MeUndies, NatureBox, and ZipRecruiter reads on vinyl, talk about letting the host be the host, and use Audiolytics® Lite to look at what's in the message and what's missing. These are selections from the Monday Morning Podcast's "best of" collection, not a ranking of its highest-performing ads. Along the way, I realize one of the scripts he's reading came from Oxford Road. We also play a Tommy John holiday spot from the Oxford Road archives and work through two questions that matter whenever we review creative: How are we measuring success, and how long do we have to get there? The score helps us evaluate the ad. We still have to watch the results. This episode contains explicit language. Ad Infinitum is the podcast devoted to audio ads, the creatives who make them, the thinking behind them, and how to make them work better. Presented by Oxford Road. Produced by Angela Hunter, Caitlyn Spring, and Ezra Fox. Written and hosted by Stew Redwine. Sound design by John Mattaliano. Audio production by Zach Hahn. Remember: have fun making the ads work.

What does a coffee jingle, a museum forgery, a puppet, and AI have to do with podcast advertising? In this episode, Claude "Buttery" returns to Ad Infinitum — but this time, he has a body. Brought to life in puppet form by Brian Michael Jones, Claude joins Stew Redwine for a conversation about Folgers, forgery, AI, authenticity, and what actually makes creative work feel real. The episode starts with Folgers' new "Best Part of Waking Up" campaign, which pairs the brand's iconic sonic logo with real songs that already carry decades of emotional weight. From there, Stew and Claude unpack the bigger question facing advertising, podcasting, and creative work right now: If something sounds real, feels real, and lands emotionally… does it matter how it was made? Together they explore AI as a tool, the danger of outsourcing the actual thinking, why honesty matters more than the medium, and why the "signature" behind a piece of work still matters. Then they get back to what Ad Infinitum does best: breaking down real podcast ads. This week, Stew and Claude review and score ads from Aura Frames, Hims, Progressive, and Red Bull, using Audiolytics® to explore why some ads convert and others leave too much on the table. In this episode: • Claude "Buttery" returns — this time as a puppet • Brian Michael Jones brings Claude to life • Folgers, nostalgia, sonic branding, and emotional memory • AI, authenticity, forgery, and creative honesty • Why the tool matters less than the intent behind it • The difference between using AI and outsourcing your thinking • What Aura Frames gets right with host-read performance audio • Why Hims succeeds with clarity, structure, and specificity • Where Progressive plays it safe • Why Red Bull's vibe is not enough • What Audiolytics® reveals about substance, urgency, offers, and conversion • Why facts, specifics, and reasons to act still matter • Why the show creates the feeling — and the ad has to make the case The takeaway: Don't sacrifice substance for vibe. The listener is already emotionally primed by the show. The ad's job is to give them a reason to believe, a reason to care, and a reason to act now. Ad Infinitum is the podcast devoted to audio ads, the creatives who make them, the thinking behind them, and how to make them work better. Hosted by Stew Redwine. Ad Infinitum is presented by Oxford Road and produced by Angela Hunter, Caitlyn Spring, and Ezra Fox, written and hosted by Stew Redwine, and sound designed by John Mattaliano, with audio production by Zach Hahn. Remember: have fun making the ads work.

In this episode, Stew Redwine is joined by Miranda Romano, Charisse Miller, Jillian Garner, and Angela Hunter for a conversation that starts with making audio ads work—and ends up somewhere much bigger. Together, they unpack what it actually takes to manage campaigns, steward client dollars, develop creative, navigate personalities, and earn trust in an industry where business is always personal. The conversation then shifts into a candid discussion about women in advertising, confidence, emotional intelligence, leadership, the boys' club, and the realities of navigating modern business. Then the team puts theory into practice by reviewing and scoring ads from America Cures, Lowe's, State Farm, and Pepsi Prebiotic Cola, exploring what separates effective audio advertising from forgettable messaging, why host-read ads continue to outperform, and what brands can do to make their media dollars work harder. In this episode: • What media, account management, and creative teams actually do to make ads work • Why business is always personal • Women in advertising, leadership, and confidence • Emotional intelligence as a competitive advantage • Why host-read ads continue to outperform • Why many podcast ads still sound like radio spots • Reviews of America Cures, Lowe's, State Farm, and Pepsi Prebiotic Cola • Why advertisers need to trust their hosts more • How brand guidelines can get in the way of effective messaging • Why audio requires a different creative approach than TV, CTV, or display • What Audiolytics® reveals about structure, authenticity, and performance The takeaway: Trust the medium. Trust the host. Care more about the listener experience. The brands winning in audio are the ones creating ads for humans, not just checking boxes on a creative brief.

What happens when you invite AI onto a podcast about podcast advertising? In this episode Claude "Buttery" joins Stew Redwine to break down ads from McDonald's, Chumba Casino, ISSA, and Meta, exploring why so many podcast ads are starting to sound like radio. Together they unpack host reads, authenticity, Audiolytics™ scores, and the difference between brand advertising and direct response. In this episode: • Why some podcast ads still sound like radio • Why host-read ads still work • Brand ads vs direct response ads • What Audiolytics® scores actually measure • Why authenticity matters in podcast advertising

Audio is different. Not better. Not worse. Different.In this episode, Rahul Sabnis (President & Chief Creative Officer at iHeartMedia) breaks down the idea of "Guaranteed Human", and why, in a world of AI-generated everything, audio might be the last place where trust still lives.We get into what makes podcasts fundamentally different from video, why attention in audio works the way it does, and how the industry is thinking about AI, voice cloning, and the future of creative.This isn't theory. It's how one of the largest audio companies in the world is choosing to move forward.In this episode: Why podcasts ≠ video (and why that matters) The "Guaranteed Human" stance and what's behind it AI, voice cloning, and where to draw the line Why audio builds trust differently than any other medium What most brands still get wrong about podcast advertising