Commercial Voiceover
This page contains examples of my voiceover work in television, radio and online adverts.
There’s a separate showreel for charitable appeals/PSAs as they’re quite jarring to hear in the commercial one, but they still really belong on this page.
Commercials keep the wheels of capitalism turning (the jury is out on whether that’s a good thing), and recording them keeps the wheels on my car turning too.
I cover the trustworthy, slightly tongue-in-cheek side of the ads industry, and can dip into the luxury brand ads too. High-energy selling is not so much my thing.
How much do commercial voiceovers cost?
Commercial pricing is tricky to lay out in a neat way without knowing details. I take into account the standard industry prices, the size and reach of your company, where the commercial will be shown, and to be quite honest how pleasant you are while we’re navigating these treacherous waters. It really is a very ad hoc process.
Like with all these types of voiceover, I’ll no doubt be referring to the industry rate guide as a starting point.
Why hire George for your Commercial Voiceover?
It’s unfair really, because we don’t choose the land onto which we are born, but the accent makes such a huge difference on the international market.
A British accent, due to the lingering influence of the BBC’s heyday (and probably some unsavoury imperial reasons), commands respect all over the globe. I don’t claim this is deserved, it’s just the way it is.
British English voiceover sells a product as respectable, reliable, and the ‘right’ decision. It adds a layer of intelligence and assurance, which brings people onto your side, whether they realise or not.
Domestically, we all know that an American accent goes down about as well as a lead balloon in the UK. My accent is fairly neutral in the regional sense of things, which means it’s applicable countrywide. Shrewsbury is my home, and it’s pretty much smack bang in the middle of the North and South, geographically and culturally.
What is Commercial Voiceover?
TV Advertisements, Radio Promos, those 15-second Spotify spots that irritate you into buying a membership (genius by the way)… even that empathetic natural read from a “member of the public” to sign you up for a Christmas charity. It’s all Commercial, because it’s all selling you, the public, something.
If you’re looking to become a Voiceover Artist, Commercial is generally one of your first ports of call.
Punchy scripts create the foundation, topical music adds body, and ‘meat’ to the stew. The voicework is the seasoning that brings it all together into a delicious, hearty meal (that sells your product).
How has Commercial VO changed?
No longer do you hear ‘that radio voice’ on every FM/AM/DAB advert. Authenticity seems to be the buzzword for casting directors these days. 5 years ago it was ‘make it pop’, which I always thought was hilariously vague.
I’ve adapted my delivery to be closer to my natural cadence, and lowered the energy in reads across the board to match. This seems to be the trend in branding at the moment, and I’m all for it. No longer do I have to pretend to be WOWED by the latest vacuum cleaner extension, I can now just be believably, mildly excited.