Commercial Voices

Commercial Voices
Written by Ayu
Monday, 27 July 2009 16:12 -
While most aspiring voice actors probably don't dream of being the next official "McDonald's
voice," any seasoned voice actor will tell you that commercials are where the money is at. A
serious voice actor will have two demo reels: a commercial reel and a character reel. But what
exactly goes into a commercial reel? Is it as simple a reading off a couple magazine ads? And
what sort of "voices" do you put in when you can show off your wacky character range? This
article breaks down some basic "commercial" voices to help point you in the right direction.
These divisions are not exclusive, and they often overlap and combine.
Hard Sell - The hard sell is the urgent, loud, and sometimes annoying voice telling you there
are ONLY THREE DAYS LEFT UNTIL THE BIG BLOWOUT SALE IS OVER FOREVER!!! It's a
strong and urgent voice that lets you know that you absolutely must go out and buy this now or
your life just won't be complete.
Soft Sell - In contrast, the soft sell doesn't force the product on anyone. It mentions that buying
the product is no so bad, maybe even kinda cool. The soft sell understands that your life just
isn't that great, and it thinks that you might be happier if you had this product.
Authoritative - The voice knows what's going on here, and you need to listen. As a doctor, it's
aware that its patients don't get enough fiber. That's why you need this product. Because it
knows better than you.
Friendly - This voice is honestly concerned for your wellbeing. It's your best friend or a next
door neighbor confiding in you that they, too, don't get enough fiber. But this product really
helped. As as a friend, they're going to suggest it to you too.
Man-to-Man - This is a male voice that's telling other males out there what's up. Usually it's
busy advertising manly things like beer or barbecue, but in the end it's all guy talk. And since
he's a dude, then you guys totally understand each other.
Woman-to-Woman - Unsurprisingly, this is a female voice talking to other women. "As a
mother..." or "Whenever you feel like you're having a bad hair day..." or other phrases will
remind you that this voice completely understands where you're coming from, and she's just
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Commercial Voices
Written by Ayu
Monday, 27 July 2009 16:12 -
here to help.
Sensual - It's the deep, seductive voice that tells you how exotic or luxurious this chocolate
pudding (or new car) is. And since it's exotic and luxurious, it'll make you feel the same way
when you eat it. And who doesn't want to feel sexy? Eating pudding is VERY sexy.
This is a basic sampling of some of the standard commercial voices. A good way to practice is
to pull out magazine ads and read them aloud. Look at the ad and decide what sort of
commercial it is. Is it a wild and fun hard sell from man to man, or a friendly woman-to-woman
soft sell? Read it out loud and experiment with your voice and inflection. There are a plethora of
variations out there (e.g. child-to-child), but mastering these will give you the tools to do even
more.
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