Voiceover: the unsung hero of TV ads
Voiceover has gone hand in hand with television advertising for as long as the medium has existed. It turns the script from words on a page, to a voice in our ear; allowing the brand to deliver further messaging than just video alone. Since recording a voiceover is one of the final steps in production, it can often be mistaken as just a finishing touch. But voiceover can hold the key to a homerun ad. Here’s why it’s such a valuable tool for TV, and how you can make it work for you.
Through tone, emphasis, pacing, and pauses, voiceover has the power to animate a script and get the message across in a way that’s easier to both understand and connect with. It’s a powerful way to humanise a brand and its message, so it’s important to choose the right-sounding artist to voice an ad. When choosing a voice, it’s helpful to ask these three questions.
Who are we talking to? It can help to choose a voice your audience identify and connect with. Take UNICEF’s We Are the Generation for example. The ad itself speaks directly to a generation who are beginning to think about their will, so it feels only right for the message to be delivered by a peer; a member of that generation.
Does the voice match the message? It should make sense for this voice to sound like an authority or storyteller of your script. Take Barnado’s Their Parents Have No Idea, where the voice feels like a trusted authority on child safety. Although, it can be an interesting technique for cut-through to deviate from the expected voice, depending on the concept and audience.
Can this voice convey the correct emotion? It’s important to consider what emotion you’re trying to instil, and making sure you choose an artist who can get that across. Sightsaver’s Blink paints a painful picture of what trachoma feels like, and the voiceover helps deliver that message with a concerned and empathetic tone.
Considering diversity and representation in choosing a voiceover artist can also be a meaningful way to reflect your brand values through voice. If you’re speaking to a particular cause, it’s worth considering who would be best placed to speak on it. For example, Smile Train (an organisation providing cleft-care across the world) had Charlotte Bates voice a recent ad, and Charlotte herself was born with a cleft palate.
Interestingly, accents can also play a role in the success of a voiceover. The demand for more artists with a regional accent is on the rise as brands look to capitalise on audience associations with different accents. A 2020 study found the Yorkshire accent to be the most trustworthy in the UK, which is why you might notice an increase in those warm Northern tones echoing out through our TVs and radios. So it certainly can pay to consider what regional accents stir up which emotion, and lean into the vast array of voices spanning every corner of the UK.
Voiceover really can be the hero of an ad, and plays a crucial role in connecting with audiences. Next time an ad on the telly resonates with you, ask yourself what role the voice played in bringing the story to life. It truly is an incredible tool in creating compelling fundraising advertising.
Bio
Meg Jenkins is a creative copywriter at DTV Group with a passion for creating impactful scripts and stories.