COMMERCIAL VOICE OVER: A TRIP DOWN MEMORY LANE
From Jiffy to Juicy Fruit, from the sad and sappy commercials of the 80s to the loud, bright Old Navy and iPod commercials of the 2000s — one thing we can all agree on: those were memorable examples of commercial voice over.
WHAT ACTUALLY MAKES A COMMERCIAL MEMORABLE?
What makes a commercial voice over memorable? It’s probably not the product itself. Instead, it usually comes down to how the product or service got advertised — how it caught our attention and burrowed into our memory. Maybe it was a song, a funny character, or a distinctive voice. Whatever the ingredient, decades of marketing research and psychology go into making an ad memorable, and more importantly, into driving sales.
Voice over plays a major role in that process. Why? Because we’re all human. Listening to a voice that speaks to our mind, heart, and soul genuinely shifts buying power. In a world surrounded by AI, there’s still something about the human voice that creates a real, personal connection. Maybe it makes us laugh. Maybe it tugs at our heartstrings. Whatever it does, it isn’t going anywhere anytime soon.
WHY HAS COMMERCIAL VOICE OVER CHANGED?
The style of commercial voice has shifted dramatically over the years. When most people think of commercial voice over, they picture a loud, boomy voice shouting “This deal won’t last long, buy now before it’s too late!” But is that what we actually hear today? Not really.
Notice how the style has toned down significantly over the years? Try this test: next time you turn on the TV, listen to five or ten commercials in a row and mentally note the style, gender, and tone of each voice. You’ll notice something interesting.
So why the shift? Never before in history have humans absorbed so much information at such lightning speed. From the moment we open our eyes and grab our phones, to turning on the TV, listening to Alexa run through our schedule, tuning into the car radio, or switching on our work computers — information never stops coming at us. It gets exhausting, doesn’t it?
That’s exactly why most commercial voices today aren’t “selling” us anymore. Instead, they’re simply “telling” us about the product, letting us make our own buying decision. We hold the power now, not the brand.
Interestingly, the most expensive commercials on TV tend to have the least “selly” or announcer-style voices, while local or budget commercials often lean the opposite way. Think big bank commercials versus Joe’s Buy and Sell. Can you hear the difference?
A NEWBIE’S GUIDE TO COMMERCIAL VOICE OVER
When I got started in voice over, I fell into the classic “announcer read” trap. I wanted to yell, shout, and pile on the inflection. It was a rude awakening when my coaches told me to stop projecting, get close to the mic, and just talk like I was chatting with my best friend over coffee about some cool new thing I’d discovered. That’s the conversational read.
Trust me, it wasn’t easy at first. It took time to adjust. But the more I paid attention to television and radio, the easier it became.
NAILING THE CONVERSATIONAL READ
This concept took me a while to fully grasp. Isn’t all voice over technically conversational? Not even close. It’s genuinely hard to sound like you’re not reading when you actually are.
This is where the old saying “practice makes almost perfect” comes into play. Think about how we actually talk — on the phone, with friends, in business meetings. We don’t speak perfectly. We flub words. We speed up, then slow down. We stutter here and there and use all kinds of inflection without thinking about it. That’s the real art of the conversational read.
Look at actors, for example. They don’t deliver lines perfectly either — they lean into those small, human nuances to keep a performance feeling real. Voice over works exactly the same way.
IS THE ANNOUNCER READ GONE FOREVER?
A great voice actor needs the ability to perform across styles, not just the trendy one. Just because announcer reads aren’t dominating the airwaves right now doesn’t mean they’re gone for good. You’ll still hear them occasionally, usually tongue-in-cheek and intentionally over-the-top. Honestly, I love hearing it — especially in pizza commercials. It still makes me laugh every time.
MY LINE OF VOICE OVER COMMERCIAL WORK
In my day-to-day work, I perform a wide range of commercial styles. Conversational reads remain king, but I’ve also played the announcer role, along with warm and empathetic (think non-profit), millennial (think Whole Foods), anthemic (think banks), quirky and sarcastic (think tech), and luxurious (think expensive cars) — among many others.
Honestly, I don’t have one favorite over another. I love that no two days look the same. One moment I’m playing a character, and the next I’m delivering an empathetic, heartfelt read. That variety makes the work more fun, plain and simple. Ultimately, the product or service sets the foundation for the style of read, and it’s the actor’s job to figure out exactly what that style needs and deliver it.
I’d love to collaborate with your team to find that perfect style and tone for your next commercial. Feel free to drop me a line, and let’s talk about it.