VO-BB - 20 YEARS OLD!

Scott Pollak · Posted: Thu Jan 13, 2011 6:17 am Post subject:

Yes, quite interesting and confirms what I always suspected.

I know for me personally a celebrity endorsement means absolutely nothing. I mean, look, we all KNOW they're getting paid a honkin' bunch o' change to endorse the product/service, right? So subliminally we're already starting out with a negative feeling about the fact they're being used to endorse a product.
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Scott R. Pollak
Clients include Pandora, NPR Atlanta, Wells Fargo, Cisco, Humana, Publix, UPS, AT&T, HP, Xerox and more.

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SilverSurfer3001 · Posted: Thu Jan 13, 2011 6:34 am Post subject:

I dunno - very seldom does the size of their paycheck cross my mind. I would imagine that many celebrity endorsed spots are made because the seller wants a voice that sounds like ___ or has the easiness or urgency that ____ gave in that movie or television show.

Many times that means simply hiring that individual to do so. Does it cost more? sure. but they know exactly what they are getting, and it saves time in casting and most likely in direction.

I recall hearing a story of the casting at SpongeBob Squarepants when the suits wanted a character who could sound like Dauber from the TV show coach. Bill Fagerbakke heard of the casting direction, auditioned for the role, and viola! the producers had their man.

When you want someone who can deliver a line with the same gentleness and soothing humility as Morgan Freeman did when he played the role of Hoke, if he happens to be available and you happen to have the budget, just hire the original.

Let's face it: They are looking for work just like everyone else. Whether it makes a discernible difference in revenue is an unknown.

But here's the dirty little secret: Non-VO's have no clue who is voicing anything. Next time the Planter's spots come on, ask someone who is removed from the industry who does that voice. Betcha 99.9999997% of the time they'll have no clue, nor will they care. Reglar folks just hear it as ambience. Now if the delivery is given badly, then they notice it. That's why many producers go for the known commodity versus the unknown - and, yes, at a higher price.
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Jody Silvers
VOSilvers.com

ricevoice · Posted: Thu Jan 13, 2011 8:34 am Post subject:

Interesting article, but there's some good analysis in the comments section too. A lot of the celebrities mentioned in the article are geared towards a very specific audience... I wouldn't expect a Dale Earnhardt Jr ad to appeal to a non-NASCAR fan. Kenny Mayne is probably only really known to people who watched ESPN's Sportscenter religiously in the late 90s. And I would imagine a Tiger Woods ad from 15 months ago would've brought a drastically difference response than it did in 2010. It also doesn't account for bad "creative"... a bad spot that happens to feature a celebrity is still a bad spot.

If you click on the link within the article you can read the actual study results. Looking at the list of "worst celebrity lift" ads, there are a few ads listed that I, as a smart-assed sports-watching 37-year-old guy, really enjoyed... ads that I wouldn't expect to be universally enjoyed across all demos. Good creative + good celebrity fit = good ad that appeals to its target, regardless of how it translates (or doesn't) to the general viewing population.

As far as I can tell, this study solely addresses on-camera endorsements... I'd really be interested to see a similar study on celebrity v-o. Like Jody said, most people have no idea and couldn't care less that Robert Downey Jr is voicing Planters or Nissan. The game I like to play is any time a spot comes on with a celebrity v-o I always ask my wife who she thinks it is... very rarely does she even realize it's a celeb doing the v-o.
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Chris Rice - Noisemaker
www.ricevoice.com

Brad Venable · Posted: Thu Jan 13, 2011 9:16 am Post subject:

I just talked about this in my blog. Voiceover is not mentioned anywhere in the article or the study, but the same backlash can happen with celebrity VO, too, if the celebrity has a distinct and recognizable voice.
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Brad Venable
The Voiceover Superhero!
"Saving the world thirty seconds at a time."

Mike Sommer · Posted: Thu Jan 13, 2011 9:17 am Post subject:

You'll be surprised learn how much it boils down to "what celebrity" the CEO's wife wants to sit next to at the company Christmas party.
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Acoustics are counter-intuitive. If one thing is certain about acoustics, it is that if anything seems obvious it is probably wrong.

Moe Egan · Posted: Thu Jan 13, 2011 9:37 am Post subject:

So simple, yet so true Mike.
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Moe Egan
i want to be the voice in your head.
~~~~~

Mike Sommer · Posted: Thu Jan 13, 2011 10:29 am Post subject:

I'm pretty sure it is Moe.

But I was thinking, I'm sure this study would equate to animation as well.
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The Blog:
http://voiceoveraudio.blogspot.com/

Acoustics are counter-intuitive. If one thing is certain about acoustics, it is that if anything seems obvious it is probably wrong.

SilverSurfer3001 · Posted: Thu Jan 13, 2011 11:01 am Post subject:

Justin Timberlake seems to be getting a good amount of cartoon voice buzz lately. When he did Shrek, I have to admit, I was scratching my head and asking "why?" His performance in Yogi Bear was pretty phenomenal, though. I imagine that cartoon voicing for "non-A-List celebs" just got a little bit tighter.
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Jody Silvers
VOSilvers.com

Bruce · Posted: Thu Jan 13, 2011 11:43 am Post subject:

Celebrity voices in ads a big waste of money? Damn. If this gets around I'm going to have to talk to my agents and see what we can do to de-celebrity me.

B
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VO-BB Member #31 Enlisted June, 2005

I'm not a Zoo, but over the years I've played one on radio/TV. .

Lee Gordon · Posted: Thu Jan 13, 2011 12:27 pm Post subject:

This article was mainly about return on investment, so if celebrity endorsements aren't worth the extra expenditure, I can't imagine how using an unidentified celebrity voiceoverist such as Robert Downey Jr. as Mr. Peanut could possibly be worth the additional cost. There's no doubt he brings a great deal of talent to the table, but I'd venture to say there are numerous lesser known voice talents just among the VO-BB membership who could have pulled off the role at a far lower price tag.
Of course, there are some celebrities whose voices are so distinctive (i.e Morgan Freeman) that they don't have to identify themselves and can still provide the perceived benefit of an endorsement.
And while, like Jody, I don't necessarily consider the enormity of the talent fee when seeing a celebrity endorse a product, like Scott, I sometimes can't help myself. To wit: anything with Donald Trump, who is a celebrity only because he has money and has used the influence that comes with money to remind the world that he has money. He rubs me the wrong way, as do Martha Stewart and a handful of others, so I will go out of my way not to patronize the sponsors they endorse.
Oh, and Bruce, I think you're safe. cool

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Lee Gordon, O.A.V.
Voice President of the United States
www.leegordonproductions.com
Twitter: @LeeGordonVoice

jsgilbert · Posted: Thu Jan 13, 2011 5:26 pm Post subject:

Sometimes it's about placing a value on things that are often difficult to measure. Other times, I have first hand knowledge, it's about being able to get investors, board of directors, etc. to hang out and rub elbows so to speak. While you're not very likely to find these celebs at the Christmas party, it almost goes that far.

With regards to the intangable, there's the buzz and the hype and the blogs and the other places, beyond the actuial ad that the client may get mentioned, Look at how Kraft got poor Ted to pose in the booth holding the packages of Macaroni and Cheese. They also got him to pretty much do the commercial everywhere he had a public appearance.

Ted might not be a celebrity in a month from now, but this week, it might seem that not even a mass shooting in Arizona could pre=empt his numerous public appearances.

In other cases, having an incredible celebrity spokesperson for a brand or company can assist them in getting the best and brightest employees or could actually help push stock values higher.

The fact that celebrity endorsements could occasionally be justified simply opened the door for it to become a standard practice.
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j.s. gilbert

js@jsgilbert.com
www.jsgilbert.com

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Mike Sommer · Posted: Thu Jan 13, 2011 9:48 pm Post subject:

Not much more than a Producer/Client ego trip, at the expense of the whole enterprise.
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The Blog:
http://voiceoveraudio.blogspot.com/

Acoustics are counter-intuitive. If one thing is certain about acoustics, it is that if anything seems obvious it is probably wrong.

Bruce · Posted: Fri Jan 14, 2011 9:39 am Post subject:

As we've noted some celebs really are very good VOs regardless of fees and how they got there. Besides Morgan Freeman (for commercials, not national newscast intros) , I really enjoy Jeff Bridges for Hyundai and Garrison Keillor for Honda in the UK for example. Their acting/storytelling experience takes them far away from the announcer mode, something most of us former announcers strive to do on a regular basis.

I also wonder in the case of second tier stars, let's say Keifer Sutherland, his dad Donald, or Kevin Spacey, fine readers all, if the majority of audience members really know or care who's narrating the commercial? I mean I'm in the biz but I'll often think that's a nice VO on a TV spot and not realize who it is and then Emma chimes in, "do you recognize who that is?" and proceeds to be spot on, but she has an ear for such things too.

B
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VO-BB Member #31 Enlisted June, 2005

I'm not a Zoo, but over the years I've played one on radio/TV. .

Gregory Best · Posted: Fri Jan 14, 2011 5:37 pm Post subject:

I like Allison Janney's Kaiser-Permanente VO work.
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Gregory Best

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