Brands That Nurtured Their Identity with the Right Voiceover
There is nothing more comforting than a warm, welcoming, and familiar voice. Whether you're on the London Underground listening to an announcement, listening to the narration of a documentary, or simply cleaning with the telly in the background and hearing about your favorite breakfast cereal, the right voiceover artist can create a loyalty in customers and a brand identity that borders on iconic.
In this article, we'll share some of the most iconic voiceover artists whose contributions to businesses, brands, and products have generated revenue, changed our culture, and ultimately created opportunities for brands that would not otherwise exist.
London Underground (The Tube)
Anyone who has waited for the London Underground experiences the very same thing: As the train slows to a stop, a voice comes over the tannoy announcing, "Mind the Gap." Mirroring the words often printed on the platform where riders enter and exit the train, this phrase has become a expected part of the ritual of riding the tube. What you may not know are the identities of the many voices over the years who have recorded the iconic warning.
Back when the safety message was designed, it was selected because it was short enough to be recorded and stored in a cost-effective manner and was brief enough to be painted over multiple sections of the platform floor. Whether you ride the Embankment, Northern, Jubilee, or Picadilly lines, if you've been a rider for some time, you may hear the very same voice recordings that have been in use for decades.
The Guardian covered a particularly touching story in 2019 about theatre actor Oswald Laurence who voiced the "Mind the Gap" recording for the Embankment line from the late 1960s-early 70s. By November of 2012, Mr. Laurence passed away, and his widow, a commuter on the Embankment route, noticed his voice had been replaced. She contacted employees and in March 2013, Mr. Laurence's recording was restored to the line, allowing both Mrs. Laurence and long-time riders the comfort of a familiar voice.
Documentaries
While the United Kingdom has cherished Sir David Attenborough since the 1950s for his television presence, the enthusiastic, warm, semi-whisper narration is renowned across the globe through documentaries in the Planet Earth franchise. Sir Attenborough is a beloved British personality whose voice is not only his personal calling card, but is truly iconic when lent to television and broadcast communications. We might argue that the modest gentleman is not only a national treasure but indeed the voice of the nation.
Commercials
Talking animals have long educated and entertained audiences. But only an exceptional animals with an extraordinary voice can make a mundane product iconic. Comparethemarket.com may have started as a site to compare insurance rates, but the clever play on words that makes the brand name so memorable now would never have been so delightful without the brilliant voice acting and delivery of the meerkat. "For easy way to save on car insurance, pleeeeease go to comparethemarket.com!"
Our counterparts across the pond have also seen actors create lasting and profitable impressions on consumers by developing brand recognition through memorable voice work.
While purchasing supplemental insurance may be something almost no American on the street will ever do, during the 2000-2011 time period, there was almost no one who had not heard of Aflac. The supplemental insurance provider created a memorable commercial that aired on television. Actor Gilbert Gottfried, a comedian and actor, voiced many memorable roles in his career, including Iago in Disney's Aladdin. But there are few adults across the States who would not recognize the Aflac duck's distinctive quack, thanks to Gottfried's distinctive voice work.
Old Spice, a low-cost cologne and fragrance manufacturer saw an increase of more than 100% in revenue after its memorable advertising campaign from 2010-2016 featured Isaiah Mustafa. Mustafa, a professional American football player turned actor, lent his voice and image to the Old Spice campaign named "The Man Your Man Could Smell Like." While the name of the campaign may be clunky, there is nothing but smooth delivery in Mustafa's deep voice urging viewers to "look at their man, now back to me." Part comedy, part fantasy, Mustafa's voice was 100% effective--in boosting sales. And no doubt boosting the enjoyment of listeners of his commercials.
Intros
We couldn't talk about show intros without paying homage to the great Peter Dickson. During his forty-year career in voiceover, Mr. Dickson has been heard by as many as 100 million people per week--many of whom believe that shows like X Factor and Britain's Got Talent wouldn't have been the shows they were without Mr. Dickson's voice! While Mr. Dickson has moved on from those shows in recent years, he remains "the" voice of television introductions in the UK and remains one of the most recognized voices in the UK.
James Earl Jones, the actor behind the mask of Star Wars franchise villain Darth Vader, performed the iconic promo for the opening credits of the news for CNN, the Cable News Network. As CNN rose to prominence in the 1990s for its reporting on the Gulf War, the intro voiced by Mr. Jones lent gravity and respect to the brand and is believed to have increased consumer confidence in CNN as a source for news.
With clever writers and the talented voiceover artists, ducks can sell insurance, body wash can sell romantic fantasies, and cultural treasures can remind us to be safe as we go about our daily lives. Whether your goal is being noticed or remembered, sell more products, or urge customers into a certain behavior, it's difficult to quantify the impact a powerful voice actor behind your script might have. Generations of people associate these iconic voices with these successful brands.
Looking to cast the right voiceover talent to take your business or product into iconic territory? You've come to the right place! The voiceover talent at ClaratyVoices has worked with brands such as Spotify, National Geographic, Colemans, Sky Mobile, and so many more. Search our website for commercial voices and you'll find samples from talents such as Asha Reid, Ben Castle-Gibb, Debbie Korley, and Lewis Cornay. If you're looking for the next James Earl Jones, Isaiah Mustafa, or Sir David Attenborough for your project, you can save yourself the search time and contact us directly. Our experienced voice agents will arrange bespoke demos so you can nurture your brand with unforgettable voice performance.
