How should your company talk?
I once directed a commercial voice session in a Soho studio with a well-known actor of the day, who, not to put too fine a point on it - was a bit of a twat. Actually, he was a lot of a twat.
During his 2 hour engagement, he punctuated each successful ‘recording-take’ with a barrage of rudely barked demands to the hapless studio assistants. “I suppose a dash of goats milk in my next tea would be too much to ask?”… And…“Would you mind popping round to my tailor on Jermyn Street and telling him it looks as if I’m unavoidably detained in this infernal recording studio!”
Now, I know what you’re wondering. “Why - would you choose to work with such an utter arse?”
It’s a good question. Well, we chose to work with this arrogant despot because… despite all of his uncomfortably unpleasant shortcomings, he was bloody brilliant!
Our client, in this case, a high-end manufacturer of outrageously over-priced Victorian style Orangeries, knew that this actor was the perfect vocal embodiment for their brand, within five seconds of us playing his demo reel. Here was a one-man ‘vocal chocolate fountain’. His voice dripping with velvety coca, oozing quality and aspiration at every note. His accent warm, familiar, middle England. A voice that embodied village cricket, roaring fires, and yes…. insanely expensive, beautifully lamplit – Orangeries. A place to escape with your high-end friends, and listen to classical music on your high-end stereo. Or lazily leaf through the latest edition of Country Life magazine, as fallow deer scampered merrily across your own private meadow.
Our man’s vocal texture and his faint Cotswold tones – were the perfect match for the brand, in every sense. In a very similar fashion to the way that the silky Irish lilt of Derval Kirwan told you immediately that your convenient evening meal wasn’t just food…. “It was M&S food”. Or the same way that the whiskey-soaked Michigan cool, of rock-icon - Iggy Pop, currently has us all hankering for our week’s holiday - “On The Beach”. Despite a national lockdown.
Voice quality matters. Accents matter. Which is the most trustworthy? Which is the most brash? Which is the most believable? Unbelievable, even? Which is the coolest? Which is the hottest? Which should you consider? And which should you studiously avoid?
What accent does your company have? More to the point, what accent does your company need?
These are questions we answer every day, for people just like you. So give us a call. We look forward to talking to you, in a whole host of convivial regional brogues - about voice-casting. Or for that matter - writing, production or distribution for your next radio or audio project. So give us a call.
