There are plenty of ways to make an advert look good.
A decent budget helps. So does a clever script. Beautiful shots. The right music. A product that somebody might actually want to buy is a distinct advantage as well.
The one element that doesn’t always come straight to mind is actually one that has the power to make or break the whole thing.
The voice.
It does not have to be deep, dramatic or annoyingly ‘advert-y’. In fact, some of the best commercial voiceovers sound as though somebody is simply talking to you.
Saying the right thing. The right way. To the right people.
Getting a brand’s message across isn’t quite as simple as it sounds.
Commercial voiceover is part of a brand’s personality
When a client is looking for a commercial voiceover, they usually already have an idea of the sound they want.
Young. Old, Mature, Fun, Posh. Urban. British – but not too British..
All useful starting points.
But the real starting point should always be – what do you want people to feel about your brand?
If your goal is to create a sense of trust, then calm and measured is probably a good bet for your choice of vocal delivery.
For products targeting ‘da kids’, then maybe something youthful and edgy is the way to go.
A sense of pace will add energy. A conversational read creates familiarity.
And sometimes a script needs a voice with some weight. Some gravitas. One that will make people sit up and listen.
None of the voices themselves – or their preferred style of delivery – are really what matters at all.
The only thing that’s important is the brand and its message.
The best commercial voiceovers sound believable
There was a time in advertising where every line was delivered as though it had just won an award for the most dramatic delivery in the history of the world.
You know the sort.
The forced enthusiasm. The over-enunciated vowel sounds. The performative deepening of the voice.
And of course the wink, wink, nudge, nudge delivery that might as well be screaming – listen to me being hilarious.
Of course, even now, these adverts still exist, and if that genuinely suits the character of the brand – great.
More often though, the job of a commercial voiceover is to make the words sound believable.
Commercial scripts have a lot to do – in not a lot of time. Explain the product. Make it appealing. Mention the offer. Remember the legal line at the end. Ideally leave the listener with something they will remember.
So a good commercial read often comes down to restraint.
It’s as much about the pauses, letting a line breathe, and giving your audience…
Space…
To take it in.
Sometimes, the most useful direction when recording a commercial voiceover is – ‘Can you make it sound less like an advert?’
The right commercial voice changes the whole feel of an advert
I have been doing this for over thirty years, and one of the things I still enjoy most is seeing how a script changes when it goes from being just words on a page to being spoken aloud.
On the page, it might look straightforward.
But in the studio, one word can suddenly feel wrong. A sentence that made perfect sense in the creative meeting can turn out to have too many syllables. Or a line only comes to life when you find the word that needs the emphasis.
That is the bit people do not always see.
The voice has to work with everything – the pictures, the music, the pace, the character and the energy of the campaign.
A great example of this is one of my favourite jobs – the Misfit Shine powered by Speedo campaign I voiced. It was not looking for shouty, high-octane fitness-ad energy. Neither was the client. It needed something more assured: a richer, more confident sound that could give the message authority while still feeling natural.
I get lots of work because of that advert. People see it and hear it, and something clicks. That’s the voice. That’s who we need. It’s one of my reels that is probably the most ‘me’.
That feeling when you hear the ‘right’ voice can’t always be spelled out in the brief or predicted by the script.
But you always recognise it when you feel it.
Why experience matters in commercial voiceover
There is room for all the voices in the world of commercial voiceover.
Commercials do not all need to sound alike.
And often it’s not actually the voice that sets me apart. It’s experience.
Because with experience comes something valuable. Judgement.
The judgement to know when a script needs more energy and when it needs less. When a brand name should be given a little lift — and when doing so makes it sound as though you are trying to sell a timeshare in Marbella. When the listener needs to feel reassured rather than persuaded.
It also means being able to take direction quickly.
‘Warmer.’ ‘Less polished.’ ‘Sorry – more polished.’’A bit more smile.’ ‘It needs to sound expensive.’
All perfectly valid requests. Although the last one is usually a slightly more nuanced challenge.
The important thing is actually hearing where a client needs the session to go – even when they are still trying to find the words themselves.
Why some adverts stay with us
Some commercials become part of the furniture. In the nicest possible way!
You can hear a line years later and immediately be back in a particular decade. A certain car. A particular holiday. Sitting in front of the television, waiting for whatever programme was about to start.
And it is not always the most expensive campaign, the cleverest script or the best-known celebrity that people remember.
Years ago, I voiced the Bazuka campaign with its ‘Bazuka that verruca!’ line. It was a short, simple bit of copy. But people still mention it to me now.
The strange thing about commercial voiceover is never knowing which line is going to stick.
Sometimes it is the writing. Sometimes it is the music or the pictures. Often, it is the way all of those things come together.
But the delivery has a part to play too.
Get it right and a line sounds as though it could only ever have been said that way. Get it wrong and even the best bit of copy can feel a little flat.
I wrote more about that particular campaign in Bazuka That Verruca! The Commercial Voiceover You Still Remember.
Finding the right sound for your brand
There is no one-size-fits-all commercial voice.
The best choice depends on who you are talking to, what you are asking them to think or feel, and the kind of relationship you want them to have with your brand.
So yes, listen to commercial voiceover demos. Think about age, accent and style. But listen for the less obvious things too.
Does the voice make the script feel believable? Does it fit the world you are creating? Does it make the message clearer, warmer, stronger or more enjoyable to hear?
And perhaps most importantly, does it sound like you?
Hear my voice speaking for brands in the commercial voiceover demos on my website.
