How Important Is The Voice In A Commercial Voice Over?
How many times have you heard the phrase “the product sells itself”? If this were really true, I think we could agree that the world of commercials would be pretty boring.
Fade in to Product X. Nothing else. No music, no voice over, no information and definitely no actors or actresses.
Of course, commercials today contain most if not all of these things. This is because it isn’t the product that sells itself, it’s the marketing and relationship built behind the product that creates an impact, especially when it comes to commercials on television or online.
The Impact of a Top Commercial Voice Over
One of the most important elements of any commercial is the voice you hear, conveying the tone of the brand and providing information about the product or service. Depending on the target market and demographic, the voice may sound like the guy next door, an educated and informed professional or perhaps a scholar or expert on a specific subject.
The chosen commercial voice over actor and script direction is the result of careful planning and decision-making on the part of the company, ad agency, or director. The actor is specifically selected to effectively reach the target audience most likely to be interested in buying the product or service. Case in point: a commercial voice over for a rugged four-wheel drive truck is going to sound very different from the voice you’ll hear selling a luxury sedan.
However, it isn’t just the voice tone or accent that matters. Slight nuances such as the rate of speech changes based on the audience as well. Slower, more measured cadence or rate of speaking is often used to convey more intimate, dramatic emotion or when discussing complex topics. Faster, more enthusiastic voices are typically associated with selling to a younger audience or when creating a sense of urgency.
Knowing how to properly match tone, cadence and speech patterns consistently is one of the many aspects of voice over work that makes it so interesting. As a voice over actor, this also provides the opportunity to add your own unique touch; helping to create a distinct and memorable voice for the brand that leaves a lasting impression.
