As soon as the first Presidential debate was finished the phantom ads started.  It’s as if each campaign keeps a voice talent and an editor on staff 24 hours a day.

McCain beat the Obama campaign to the punch with this spot:

Obama countered with this one, released this morning:

But – not on youtube yet – so click here to view.

Yesterday, I spent some time speaking with a voice talent actor, who recently read for a spot I produced that is currently airing.  Our phone conversation quickly turned to the sudden death, earlier this week, of the most famous Voice Over (VO) artist, Don LaFontaine.  

If you’ve ever seen a movie trailer for anything, and I mean anything, in the past 30 years, I will bet you’ve been treated to the voice of Don LaFontaine.  Most people probably could not recognize LaFontaine by name, but his voice is as familiar as a close friend.

Reading of his passing got me thinking about this hidden art, which unless you live in a cave, you are exposed to on a daily basis.

It’s amazing how little attention ever gets paid to voice talent actors.  Anyone who works in media advertising (and does it well), understands the value a good voice over provides a television or radio spot.

Finding the proper voice over for a spot is like paring the right shoes with the occasion.  You don’t wear dress shoes to go running, nor do you wear flip-flops to a formal dinner.  The same is true for paring the right voice over for a spot.  Done properly, the spot is delivered with the perfect pitch and rhythm.

The voice over, also called the voice of God, serves as the conductor of the spot, telling the story in a way that brings the viewer or listener in and holds their attention.  A talented voice actor will use voice to drive the heart of a script, and when done perfectly, will go hand in hand with the music, the footage and the graphics to create emotion.

Here are a few factors a good political media consultant considers when choosing voice talent:

• Media consultants try to use familiar voices (actors that read for regular TV shows or other commercials) so that viewers and listeners will be comfortable with the ad immediately.  Similar to the feeling one gets when they receive a call from a recognizable voice rather than from a stranger.  
• Male and female voices can be chosen based on what the spot is attempting to do.  Female voices can soften a more conservative male candidate, while a male voice can give more masculine qualities to a female candidate.
• The same tactic is true for distinguishable ethnic voices, which are often used in an attempt to create credibility with a targeted demo.
• When using character voices and accents be careful.  When overdone, these sound silly and contrived, leaving the viewer or listener to think the spot is silly – think bad car commercial.  However, good character voices can be a real asset in making an effective humor spot.
• Pay attention to word count and timing – Do not rush the spot by maximizing words in the script.   A fast read make the spot weaker, because the message could be missed.  Usually, the best voice actors read slowly to create more affect and drama.  Too often, political spots are stuffed to the gills with words forcing the script to be read at an unusually fast clip.  Unless it’s for humor effect, people do not properly identify with speed talking.