We know the narrators of our favourite audiobooks and the voice actors who give their voices to animated characters in cartoons and movies. They’re often household names. However, there’s an area where the best actors are often left unrecognized – Voice-over in TV adverts.
You may think that the voice is not the central part of a commercial, but that’s not true. The voice is powerful and can sell, engage and compel audiences towards a specific goal or message. Selecting an actor for this job involves two sets of criteria: the tone, style, and characteristics of a voice and the language/ accent. Businesses use platforms like Voquent to find the best English voice-over, with their unique filter system to help find the perfect voice for any TV advert.
If you still have doubts about the importance of audio in a commercial, revise these examples of the best TV adverts. They are very popular in no small part due to the voice actors and their ability to intonate the text. Some of these ads are fun, others are more serious, but they all became a part of British pop culture thanks to the voice performances.
1. Smash
This advert for instant mashed potatoes is around 50 years old. But it is still an example of a great commercial. The voice-over in this video is superb. Alien robots discuss food from Earth, and just by listening, we can assume that these are non-human creatures. Using robotic voices sells the idea of a more advanced civilization that eat Smash, more intelligent than humans who still peel and boil their potatoes.
2. Money Supermarket
This advert features the character He-Man and his arch-nemesis Skeletor. The narrator’s voice adds the epic feeling in the beginning, with a dramatic and powerful voice suggesting a fight will take place. It creates a fun contrast between the introduction and the ending, where the characters re-create dirty dancing. This comic effect is achieved with the help of the correct intonations and voice tone. Voice-over is used to create the expectation of an epic fight, only to turn the advert on its head.
3. John West
In this commercial promoting canned salmon, we watch the fight between the bear and a fisherman. The video is fun by itself, but the voice actor impersonating Richard Attenborough adds more humour. Familiar intonations of a famous voice trigger memories and prepare the base for the unexpected ending. It also suggests initially that the video is real before the bear does a spinning back kick. The voice-over, in this case, adds to the comedy of the advert.
4. Hovis Bread
Everybody knows this advert for Hovis Bread. It’s even considered the best advert in British TV history. Ridley Scott directed it in 1973; this short video is an excellent example of perfect balance. Classical music, the English voice-over, and the visuals combine to create the idea of heart-warming localness. Using an English voice-over to target an English audience will allow viewers to resonate more with the message in the advert, and many have fond memories of this example.
5. Guinness
This ad featuring surfers was filmed in 1998, but many British people still remember it. It’s another case of outstanding balance when the video, music, and voice complement each other. The narrator intonates the most intense moments and highlights the right parts of the video. It creates an epic feeling and builds on the taste of Guinness, intense and exciting.
These TV adverts are just some examples of perfect English voice-overs. We often don’t notice the importance of the voice in a commercial. Experiment. Watch these or any other adverts with and without audio. After that, you’ll see the difference. The voice is powerful, and selecting the best English voice-over is crucial.
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