Ad Infinitum

What actually makes an audio ad work?The answer is what Ad Infinitum is all about, and also a recurring session at Podcast Movement since 2024.In this special live-recorded bonus episode, Stew Redwine — Executive Creative Director at Oxford Road and host of Ad Infinitum — takes the stage at Podcast Movement 2024 in Washington, D.C. to share seven proven principles that make audio ads perform for the first What Makes Audio Ads Work talk.Across 20 minutes and 55,000+ ads worth of insight, Stew blends behavioral science, storytelling, and sound strategy into a crash course for brands, hosts, and creatives who want their ads to work harder.It's like a live version of Ad Infinitum, without the ad breakdowns. That didn't come until What Makes Audio Ads Work Volume III.You’ll learn:- Why understanding the listener is everything- How sonic branding beats visuals 7x in recall- The neuroscience behind sound, memory, and emotion- Why “just do what’s in the script” still works - Seven truths of high-performing podcast adsRecorded live at Podcast Movement, August 2024 — Washington, D.C. Support the showAd Infinitum is Presented by Oxford Road and Produced by Caitlyn Spring & Ezra Fox, MFA, written & hosted by Stew Redwine, and sound designed by John Mattaliano, with audio production by Zach Hahn.

What happens when you invite AI into the Ad Infinitum hot seat? In this special episode, Infinite Prompts, Stew Redwine sits down with Juniper GPT to explore the evolving intersection of artificial intelligence and audio advertising.Together they break down Magellan AI’s July 2025 Movers & Shakers report, grading fresh podcast ads from My Mochi, Activision's Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater, Ray-Ban Meta Glasses, and JCPenney using the Audiolytics™ framework. Do Juniper’s AI instincts line up with human judgment? (Spoiler: surprisingly well.)From authentic storytelling to futuristic features—and even a Tony Hawk read delivered Old West style—this episode highlights where AI can amplify creativity and where the human touch still reigns supreme.For Chief Audio Officers and creative marketers alike, this is a timely look at how to have fun making the ads work in a world where collaboration with AI is no longer science fiction.👉 Get your free Magellan AI demo: magellan.ai/adinfinitumSupport the showAd Infinitum is Presented by Oxford Road and Produced by Caitlyn Spring & Ezra Fox, MFA, written & hosted by Stew Redwine, and sound designed by John Mattaliano, with audio production by Zach Hahn.

What happens when the helmets come off in audio advertising?At the 2025 Chief Audio Officer Summit, industry leaders gathered not to pitch, but to share—openly debating the toughest challenges in podcasting and audio. In this special episode, Stew Redwine sits down with Kraig T. Kitchin to unpack the insights, optimism, and candid conversations that defined this year’s CAO Summit at Terranea Resort.You’ll learn:Why vulnerability—not bravado—sparked the most valuable breakthroughs.How the industry is grappling with measurement across YouTube, audio platforms, and beyond.What radio’s history reveals about the future of podcasts in the age of video.How top creators are embracing their dual role as entertainers and salespeople.Where AI belongs in creative—and why care remains the human advantage.From oceanfront backdrops to locker-room honesty, this episode captures the rare environment where competitors become collaborators—and where audio’s future is written in real time.Support the showAd Infinitum is Presented by Oxford Road and Produced by Caitlyn Spring & Ezra Fox, MFA, written & hosted by Stew Redwine, and sound designed by John Mattaliano, with audio production by Zach Hahn.

In this special live edition of Ad Infinitum, Executive Creative Director Stew Redwine takes the stage at Podcast Movement 2025 to deliver the third installment of his talk: What Makes Audio Ads Work.This time, Stew makes it practical. With stories, data, and a few unexpected metaphors (including his dog, Maverick), he breaks down six essential lessons every marketer, podcaster, and advertiser can put into practice immediately:Host’s Voice – Keep the ad in the authentic sound of the person listeners trust.Host’s Words – Let them say it in their own language, not yours.Early & Often – Mention the brand within the first six seconds, then keep it present throughout.Sonic Branding – Build sound cues that make your brand recognizable with eyes closed.Distinct & Consistent – Repetition creates memory. Resist the urge to constantly refresh.Care – Tools can scale, but only human care makes the work matter.From the history of radio to the warp-speed evolution of podcasting, Stew shows where audio is headed and why keeping host authenticity at the center is the industry’s best chance to “keep podcasting, if we can.”It’s equal parts rallying cry and practical handbook for anyone who wants their audio ads to actually work.Support the showAd Infinitum is Presented by Oxford Road and Produced by Caitlyn Spring & Ezra Fox, MFA, written & hosted by Stew Redwine, and sound designed by John Mattaliano, with audio production by Zach Hahn.

What does it take to think on a higher creative plane—and still keep your feet on the ground?In this in-person episode, Stew Redwine sits down with longtime collaborator Shelby Hayden Craig—aka “Shelby from the Future”—to unpack the mindset, methods, and muscle memory behind great creative strategy. From Sydney to Los Angeles, Shelby has been both literally and figuratively “ahead” on countless Oxford Road projects, pulling teams toward sharper thinking with a mix of humility, firmness, and curiosity.Together they explore the art of balancing openness with confidence, why the best insights often sound like great stand-up jokes, and how AI is raising the bar for human creativity. You’ll hear the story behind Shopify’s cha-ching sonic branding breakthrough, the discipline of crafting ideas worth fighting for, and Shelby’s three guiding “C”s for lasting performance optimization: Create, Craft, and Care (a.k.a. C3PO).Plus: a full Audiolytics® breakdown of IBM’s recent podcast ads—produced spots, host reads, and sonic logos—to see whether there’s a unifying insight guiding the brand’s audio presence or just a list of proof points.You’ll learn:How to turn everyday observations into true insights (and why it takes work)The difference between an idea and an insight—and why you need bothHow sonic branding can drive measurable performance when it’s consistentWhy optimism is a creative’s best survival skill in a critical industryHow to recognize when your posture toward AI is helping or hurting your workIt’s part creative masterclass, part shop talk, and part reminder that in audio advertising—and in your career—caring is the real performance optimizer.Support the showAd Infinitum is Presented by Oxford Road and Produced by Caitlyn Spring & Ezra Fox, MFA, written & hosted by Stew Redwine, and sound designed by John Mattaliano, with audio production by Zach Hahn.

What do British military strategy and great audio ads have in common? More than you’d think.In this episode, Stew Redwine is joined by Oxford Road’s Steven Abraham and Giles Martin to explore the U.K.'s greatest export to the world of advertising: planning. Drawing a line from wartime intelligence to account planning to podcast briefs, the trio makes the case that disciplined strategy—not just clever copy—is what separates forgettable ads from unforgettable ones.Together, they unpack how British planning culture shaped the modern agency model, and why the best creative still starts with a sharp, clear objective.Plus: a full Audiolytics® breakdown of four top podcast ads from Unilever (Dove, Degree, Vaseline, and OLLY). Did they plan the spend... or just spend?You’ll learn:How Stephen King and Stanley Pollitt turned war rooms into strategy departmentsWhy briefs should be battle plans, not brainstorming warmupsHow to diagnose when an ad failed because the thinking never showed upWhat Unilever’s podcast ads get right—and where they miss the markWhy every Chief Audio Officer should be asking: “What are we trying to do here?”Support the showAd Infinitum is Presented by Oxford Road and Produced by Caitlyn Spring & Ezra Fox, MFA, written & hosted by Stew Redwine, and sound designed by John Mattaliano, with audio production by Zach Hahn.

In this special episode of Ad Infinitum, Stew shares the full video version of his talk at Podcast Movement Evolutions in Chicago, 2025. From sonic branding and memory science to host trust and the rise of video, this talk explores what truly makes audio ads work today—and what we may need to let go of to make them work better.You’ll hear about:The NBC chimes and the power of sound brandingWhy “I use this and you should too” outperforms everythingHow generative AI risks making dull ads fasterThe Audiolytics™ framework for better creativeWhat Odysseus, a cab ride, and Aristotle have to do with all of itIt’s a creative call to arms for anyone making or buying ads in 2025.Support the showAd Infinitum is Presented by Oxford Road and Produced by Caitlyn Spring & Ezra Fox, MFA, written & hosted by Stew Redwine, and sound designed by John Mattaliano, with audio production by Zach Hahn.

Ever heard a Broadway ballad about bathroom fixtures? Or a devilish ditty about selling tires?From the 1950s to the 1980s, America’s biggest brands—Ford, Xerox, American Standard—commissioned full-scale, professional musicals for their employees, not the public. These “industrial musicals” were staged at sales conventions, lavish one-night-only productions designed to inspire, educate, and entertain. And they worked.In this special crossover episode, written & produced by Amelia Tait and Casey Emmerling, we hand the mic to the team at Twenty Thousand Hertz to explore this fascinating corner of audio history, led by comedy writer and collector Steve Young. You’ll hear unforgettable songs about silicones, diesel engines, bathroom bliss, and more—plus the human stories behind the people who created this unlikely art form.It’s easy to laugh at singing salespeople, but it’s harder to dismiss how powerful these productions were. People remembered them. They were moved. They sold more because of them. The question isn’t, "Why they did it?" It's, "Why did we stopped?Maybe it’s time to bring a little of that musical magic back to modern audio ads.Support the showAd Infinitum is Presented by Oxford Road and Produced by Caitlyn Spring & Ezra Fox, MFA, written & hosted by Stew Redwine, and sound designed by John Mattaliano, with audio production by Zach Hahn.

In Season 3 Episode 7 of Ad Infinitum, Stew Redwine is joined by Antonio Coronado—aka Agent 004, aka Antoniolytics™—and together, they delve a critical point in the history of Audiolytics™ - the proprietary ad grading and devopment framework developed and used by OXFORd - the early days of human grading, and what happens when AI takes the wheel.As the ad industry hits an inflection point—with AI tools being mandated at major platforms like Spotify—Antonio and Stew unpack what machines can do well, what they still miss, and where the soul of a great message resides. They discuss the importance of Audiolytics™ Key Components like Setup, Positioning, Substantiation, and that elusive “unifying principle” behind emotional resonance. And, of course, Antoniolytics™ goes head-to-head with Audiolytics™, evaluating top ads from T-Mobile, BetterHelp, Toyota, and Mint Mobile to pit man against machine and find out if their grades are wildly different and who is the harsher critic, the one with or without a beating heart?This episode is a time capsule, a tribute, and a turning point in the evolution of creative optimization, marking the end of the hand-graded era and the beginning of something new.Support the showAd Infinitum is Presented by Oxford Road and Produced by Caitlyn Spring & Ezra Fox, MFA, written & hosted by Stew Redwine, and sound designed by John Mattaliano, with audio production by Zach Hahn.

Why does comedy work in audio ads—and why don’t more brands take the leap?In Season 3 Episode 6 of Ad Infinitum, Stew Redwine is joined by improv legends Wayne Brady and Jonathan Mangum, co-hosts of Wayne Brady's What If?! with Jonathan Mangum, to explore the strategic (and often hilarious) role of humor in audio advertising. They unpack the data, riff on Stew's obsession with the comedic potential for life insurance ads, improvise jingles, and roast real radio spots from recent top spenders Progressive, Home Depot, Discover, and ZipRecruiter. Along the way, they reveal how brands can break out of the safety zone, find their comedic voice, and stand out in an AI-driven sea of sameness.Special thanks to Headgum for hosting Ad Infinitum at their studio for this episode!Support the showAd Infinitum is Presented by Oxford Road and Produced by Caitlyn Spring & Ezra Fox, MFA, written & hosted by Stew Redwine, and sound designed by John Mattaliano, with audio production by Zach Hahn.