Voice Over Resource Guide

VORG #45 July - December 2005

The Stigma is Gone! (At Least For Now)

Ask any VO Agent. Ask any Voice Casting Service. Ask any Ad Agency
attempting to keep an account, bring ancillary attention to a product, wow everyone with their power of reach, give a familiar acting vocal sound to a spot, spend more of the client’s money or make sure they have the right someone show up at the client’s annual sales broo-haha... They will all tell you that commercial voice work no longer carries a stigma for celebrities. If you’re not convinced, I’m sure Orson Wells would tell you the same thing if he were still with us. Wait... I think I hear him... No, just the voice of Don LaFontaine wafting from the studio next door. The commercial voice over business is like most anything else, it’s ‘cyclical’. Recently, producers of television and radio commercials are ramping up the use of celebrities as their HEARD BUT NOT SEEN Spokespersons. I use the word spokesperson loosely because most, if not all of their reads are not spokes-like. Take for example, Gene Hackman, Bruce McGill, Julia Roberts, Christina Pickles, Peri Gilpin, Jeff Bridges, Christian Slater, Adam Arkin, George Clooney, Kelsey Grammer, Sean Connery, Richard Dreyfuss, Hector Elizando, Billy Crudup, Allison Janney, Queen Latifah, to name JUST A FEW. The traditional major market ‘Blue Collar’ Voice’lings say that the reach of the internet casting companies may be taking jobs away from the two coasts. I say they may be contributing factors, but celebrities are now a part of the commercial voice workforce.


Test your ear! Before you listen to any of the audio files here, FIRST try to match the celebrity with the product they are pitching. Below, click for the correct answers.
CELEBRITY	PRODUCT
Adam Arkin Alec Baldwin Jeff Bridges Stockard Channing Patricia Clarkson George Clooney Sean Connery Billy Crudup Hector Elizando Kelsey Grammer Perri Gilpin Gene Hackman Allison Janney Queen Latifah Bruce McGill Mandy Patinkin Julia Roberts Christian Slater Christina Pickles	Anheuser-Busch, Budweiser - "This is Budweiser, This is beer." Click here for an audio sample. Panasonic - "Ideas for life." Click here for an audio sample. BMW - "The BMW 5 Series, the Ultimate Driving Machine." Click here for an audio sample. MasterCard - "Priceless ... there are some things money can't buy... for every thing else there's MasterCard." Click here for an audio sample. AOL - "Want a Better Internet? You Belong at America Online." Oppenheimer Funds - "Oppenheimer Funds, The right way to invest." Click here for an audio sample. Tyco - "A vital part of your world." Click here for an audio sample. Lowe's - "Ya see, at Lowe's, improving home improvement never ends." Click here for an audio sample. Duracell - "Duracell, trusted everywhere." Level3 Communications - "Voice, video, and data... Level3 Communications." Wells Fargo - "One stage at a time, Wells Fargo." Click here for an audio sample. AIA - "What is the Value of Good design? How 'bout 5 million dollars. That's what it was for one property owner who involved an architect early on. A member of the American Institute of Architects." Click here for an audio sample. Kaiser Permanente - "May you live long... and thrive." Click here for an audio sample. Pizza Hut - "Dippin' can't be denied." Click here for an audio sample. Edison - "Because electricity is different." Click here for an audio sample. Pacific Sales - "The best apppliances at the lowest prices." Click here for an audio sample. Crestor - "Get your cholesterol lower. Aim lower with Crestor." Click here for an audio sample. Arvida Homes - " A home isn’t just where you live… ultimately it’s how you live." Click here for an audio sample. Disney - "50th Anniversary. Come celebrate with us." Click here for an audio sample. Lincoln Automobiles- "Travel Well." Click here for an audio sample. AIG - "Insurance, loans, retirement. AIG." Click here for an audio sample. American Airlines - "Somewhere in America." Click here for an audio sample. Compaq Computers - "Power computers." Click here for an audio sample. Pavilions Supermarkets - "A world of difference."
Click Here For The Answers