Read that again: if you think you need a great celebrity voice over, you don’t. Of course, getting a celebrity to do the voice over for your product or service is great. We’re not suggesting there’s anything wrong with doing so.
It’s becoming increasingly common too. The reason is simple: as a business owner, you probably figure a celebrity voice over will add value and gravitas to your message. It’ll make connecting with your audience easy. It’s part-and-parcel of influencer marketing, no?
Sure. But they usually come at a jaw-droppingly hefty cost.
As with most things, you get what you pay for. If you happen to use a celebrity voice actor to do your voiceover, you just might experience the clout they can bring in. Take this for example:
You see an ad, but it’s no ordinary ad. Normally you’d skip these kinds of ads, but no, this one is special.
It’s Taylor Swift on the treadmill. Maybe she’s not your favourite celebrity — or maybe she is, we aren’t judging — but you know her. And you can’t help but wonder, what’s this ad about?
You give it a watch, and listen to her voice. The next thing you know, you’re subscribing to Apple Music.
OK that’s a little drastic, but at the very least, you’re more interested in the ad.
So celebrity voiceovers work. And as celebrity voice actors are being used more and more, you can’t help but wonder, “Do I need a celebrity voiceover?”
Instant recognition
Celebrities and celebrity voice actors can give instant recognition and virality. If your product is obscure and it needs some broad-based appeal, the recognition of a celebrity can be very enticing.
After all, sometimes it only takes the mention of someone’s name for something to garner interest. Have you heard Morgan Freeman doing a voiceover for this airline ad?
It doesn’t matter if you’ve heard it or not, or even watch the ad. You’re probably thinking about how his soft, gravely and rich voice sounds like as he talks about an airline. Boom, there’s your interest.
So instant recognition is great, but it only touches the surface. The reason why people go beyond the shiny exterior of a celebrity’s name is because of their acting prowess.
Acting prowess
People hire celebrity voice actors for their ability to act. These popular celebrities were made famous because of their extraordinary work and acting ability, not just by their name.
Acting ability — it’s crucial for any voiceover. You just can’t get away with a dispassionate or unbelievable script read. The voiceover has to be genuine, relatable and absolutely convincing, which takes good acting.
Take for example, the Toy Story movie. They didn’t put Tim Allen and Tom Hanks as Buzz Lightyear and Woody just because they’re famous. They’re in there because they could act the roles outstandingly well.
Just watch for a bit and see the acting behind the voiceover recordings. Can you see the changes in facial expressions? The motions in their bodies? The emotional tension?
It’s great acting, and that’s what makes their performances in the film so incredible. It’s enough to make the animated characters feel real and relatable. You don’t say, hey that’s Tom Hanks and Tim Allen in the movie, you call them Woody and Buzz Lightyear.
People remember the talent, the name is just the road sign that points towards it.
Waste not, want not
The benefits of a celebrity voiceover all sound great, but there are things to consider about hiring a celebrity voice actor. The first thing is the price tag. They’re going to come at a premium fee because they provide a premium service.
The second thing to consider is whether or not they’ll take away from the message of your voiceover. A celebrity can be distracting, and your audience might focus on them instead of your product.
The third thing to consider — and this is the big one — is that you can find what you want from a celebrity voiceover in any professional voice actor.
It’s clear now that celebrity voiceovers work because they’re soaked in good talent. Often, people look for these voiceovers because they provide reliable talent.
When you consider a professional voice actor with years of experience in the field, disciplined work ethic, great talent, and just the voice you need, you have to ask yourself, “Is a celebrity voiceover really necessary?”
In the end, we think having the name is nice, but talent is the main ingredient of a successful voiceover. Which any truly professional voice actor has!
You can take a look – and a listen – for yourself. Voice123 has a wonderful selection of professional voice actors who are ready to provide outstanding performances. Give them a try. We’ll bet on your not needing a celebrity voice actor after all!