You wouldn’t use an out-of-focus picture, so why use an out-of-focus voice?
Voice Master has conducted a survey and found that 27% of TV commercials use untrained voiceovers.
Perhaps the producers responsible are trying to save money by using these untrained voiceovers. It is a false economy and unprofessional. The advertising agencies’ job is to deliver the best possible advertising campaign on behalf of their client. By using an ineffective voiceover, half the message is lost.
L’Oreal TV commercial
Even Scarlett Johansson, who is a trained actress reads the line ‘Because you’re worth it’ in a flat, insincere way and it’s too fast. Every one of the models in these commercials deliver the line like you’re worth nothing.
Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.
This is inexcusable!
Scroll down to the bottom of the page to see a list of untrained voiceovers heard during 1 1/2 hours of prime time TV recently (and some good ones).
Findus Frozen Foods
Findus had a campaign which used the line: ‘Findus, the most tender peas.’.
This is meant to evoke the memory of granny’s delicious roast beef and Yorkshire pudding with a pile of steaming, fresh, tender peas. Obviously, ‘tender peas’ are the most important words, together with ‘Findus’, the name of the advertiser.
The voiceover said, “Findus – THE most tender peas”, which rather misses the point!
Birdseye and Findus peas are excellent products, so how do you choose between them? The peas are probably the same high standard. The choice is often based on the packaging design, the TV commercial and guess what ….the quality of the voiceover!
This amateurish approach has been going on for years. Just listen to Orson Welles being directed by a ‘professional’ director from J. Walter Thompson.
Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.
There is a growing trend for producers to insist that voiceovers emphasise ‘you’ and ‘yours’ probably thinking this will personalise their message. It doesn’t.
In the line: ‘Insure your home with Aviva’, the most important word is the name of the company. By saying: ‘Insure YOUR home with Aviva’, you’re suggesting you might insure someone elses’ home.
For some strange reason, voiceovers and broadcasters are regularly emphasising insignificant words like: ‘is’, ‘and’, ‘are’ and ‘we’. These words hardly ever need emphasising.
Walt Disney said: ‘Voice Technique is as important as the picture.’
Steve now works as a voice consultant for advertising agencies and their clients.
Untrained voiceovers used:
Curry’s & PC World – John Frieda – Maybelline – Subway – Dorothy Perkins – Kinekt – Morrisons – KFC – WH Smith – SKY Anytime
Professional voiceovers used:
Disney Epic – Bell’s Whiskey – HSBC – Gaviscon – Senakot – Uncle Ben – Dyson – Kodak Printer Staples – Jack Daniels – SKY News HD
