Ok, well there’s actually nothing to win but certainly check your mail!
And maybe you already have, which is why you’re checking out this page. Welcome to my voiceover blog.
If we haven’t properly met yet, hi, I’m Peter.
Yes, I sent out a new direct mail postcard this week to about 900 of my media production peers who work in audio production, TV and radio production, TV promo, explainer video production, documentaries and darn near every other kind of electronic production worldwide that uses voiceover.
People still love getting unique stuff in the mail, even an oversized postcard. It’s a reminder to those I’ve worked with before that I’m still around (give me a call). It’s also an introduction to folks who may have heard of me (or may not have heard of me) but might need some professional voice talent help – the card is a friendly hello (give me a call) to them as well.
I’ll still do email blasts every now and again but I fear those don’t get read as much as they used to…my open rates are still good and I keep the message short and sweet!
So if you’re just finding me for the first time, hi (welcome!), and if you’re returning, hi again and thanks for coming back.
Oh and if you do need to call me, I’m on +01 716-572-1800.
Or if you’re like me (and God help you if you are), you kinda noticed something different on your Twitter profile but ignored it and moved on…until you DID notice it.
Twitter changed the layout of your profile, not a ton but juuuust enough to screw with your branding.
The little profile picture on your Twitter profile, you know, the one the shows up next to every tweet? The size of that got changed last week.
It used to be a square and now it’s a circle.
Big deal, you say? Who cares, you say?
Well maybe it’s not Armageddon, but depending on the size of your profile picture, the image may have gotten cut off, leaving your branding looking a bit sloppier than you may prefer. Prospects look at social media accounts and judge you on your branding. Just like you judge others on their branding.
Now is it a bigger deal for you?
The fix is easy enough (just more unnecessary work). Take your original picture and make it a bit smaller so the rounded edges of the new circle don’t cut off your image.
Then re-upload the pic to Twitter, resize if necessary and save.
Then wait for some body else at Twitter to unnecessarily change something else without letting you know.
Back when I drank colas, Pepsi was my go to beverage. I drank Pepsi at least 3-4 times a day, from my high school days up to maybe 5-6 years ago. I loved the stuff, especially from a fountain. Mmmmmm!
Coke was not my beverage, always Pepsi.
Always.
One day I stopped drinking Pepsi, cold turkey, because I decided it wasn’t good for my stomach. No doctor’s orders, no major medical issue. Just a common sense decision for me.
If you still drink it, please enjoy one for me because it tastes great.
So this week when the controversy erupted over a new Pepsi ad featuring Kendall Jenner, I was immediately interested because it was Pepsi. Then I was interested because the world was losing its mind about Pepsi being insensitive and tone deaf to social issues.
I’m going to blow right past that last part about Pepsi being socially insensitive, thus having to avoid reminding people that almost every brand is only as interested in an issue or position (social or otherwise) if they think it will somehow help them make money or save money.
Rather, I’m going to go to the lessons in this debacle that can be learned by voiceover talents because, really, nothing else matters. 😉
Lesson #1 ALL VOICE TALENTS ARE KENDALL JENNER
No, we’re not really attractive and wearing Victoria Secret underwear on stages. Only some of the voice guys do that. Allegedly!
But we, like Kendall, are given a script to follow, we agree with the concept, are unsure of how it will all turn out but have faith in the producers and directors we work with that they will perform professionally and responsibly. With that faith in hand and our God-given talents, we perform the job to the best of our abilities.
Sometimes the finished production is a masterpiece that we are proud to have our voice (if not our face) associated with. Sometimes it is so terribly produced and embarrassing that we are ashamed to even cash the check.
There are risks in every job and for voice talents and on-screen performers, that’s one of ours. Rarely when the finished project goes badly is it our fault and in this particular case, it’s not Kendall Jenner’s fault either. Note to KJ: cash the check kid, the embarrassment will fade and you’ll be fine.
Lesson #2 VOICE TALENTS DO NOT CONTROL CONTENT
Copywriters, executives, directors and producers get input into scripts, visuals, music and even what voice to use on commercials and narrations. The talent just performs as directed. Many a voice talent can tell you horror stories of a script that had such amazing potential but must have been “committeed” to death after the talent heard or saw the finished project. But their voice was still in there and there was nothing left to do but quickly and quietly move on to the next project. Note to KJ: do that. Move on to the next job. But if SNL or Kimmel calls you to do a spoof ad…if it’s written well, consider doing it.
Lesson #3 COMMERCIALS AND NARRATIONS HAVE NOT YET CURED CANCER OR ENDED FAMINES
Voice talents and actors perform our work to the best of our abilities and we take our jobs seriously because we like the responsibility established when clients and brands entrust us to perform.
But let’s not take ourselves TOO seriously.
We love and respect our voice acting and on-camera acting professions because they are noble ones, but our work has little (not none but little) significant impact on our world. We educate, we inform, we lobby, we sell, we entertain.
But our work is highly unlikely to prevent or cause the end of the world.
This Pepsi ad wasn’t so much insensitive as it was just…a crappy ad. That point has nothing to do with any talent shown in the spot.
The visual message of this Pepsi ad tried to commercialize the nation’s highly charged opinions (bad starting point) into a marketable, happy, non-political spot. The only nice thing I can envision for the brand on that point is that Pepsi may have meant well.
But the spot failed well beyond people’s hurt feelings. And those failings are the reasons the spot should have never aired, beyond the politically charged subtext.
The spot didn’t influence the audience, it didn’t build up the brand and most importantly —above everything else…it didn’t sell any soda. Had that spot run for a year, I doubt it would have move any cans off the shelf.
Pepsi’s job is not to bring about peace. The product satisfies a physical thirst. Sell THAT guys!
Capturing the modern zeitgeist may have been Pepsi’s objective, tying the brand in with the target audience’s desire/demand for justice and equality.
They just forgot to sell the soda.
And selling the soda, not selling world justice, is Pepsi’s only real job.
You know what’s so funny to me, as a political voice talent?
It’s not the politicians or referendums or the political action committees. Those are just grown-ups trying to do that which they think is right.
Well, in a few cases, it is grown-ups behaving badly.
But what I find so terribly funny about being a voice talent for political spots is that I myself am so completely not political. I’m just not.
I am intentionally not affiliated with a political party. I don’t donate to political causes. I’m not a rally attender.
I do vote, every election without exception. I am amazed when I hear how many people do not vote. People died for me so I’d have that right in the democracy of my nation! What the heck?! Vote people!
Me being not very political doesn’t mean I don’t have opinions, I do. Every voice talent does. Every person does.
I just don’t blast it upon the world (as I hear and see others do) Plus I stay far away from mentioning any thing political on social media. To me that’s just professional suicide, no matter what your job is.
Nope, I just give the client the best and most appropriate read for the script. Work fast, be fun to work with and then get paid. It’s been a winning formula thus far.
So what happens if I get a political commercial script that I really have a problem with?
Likely what I’ll do is contact a fellow voice talent whose personal views maybe more in line with the script’s content and see if I can foster a connection. Why?
First of all, this is a business transaction, it’s not meant to be personal. Some people see it otherwise, but I don’t. It’s business.
Often times, also, the campaign managers or political consultants who send me scripts work on a wide range of campaigns. So while I may not work with them on one campaign, we may have no problem working together on another campaign.
Politics is about relationships. Voiceover is about relationships. So I guess in a sense, I am a little political. Here’s a link to my political demo, if you’d like to listen.
Tags: advertising, commercials, political advertising by peter k. o'connell, your friendly, neighborhood voice-over talent Comments Off on doing voiceovers for political commercials
Opened my mail today, this last day of November to receive my first voice-over holiday (read: Christmas) card! I thought it was a great one! My poor photography skills don’t do the card justice.
Congrats to my friend and fellow voice-over talent Christy Harst on her design and message. And Merry Christmas!
aHa! Designs Owner Ann Marie Hackett with audio’connell Voice-Over Talent’s Peter K. O’Connell at Buffalo Business First’s 2015 40 Under 40 event
I’m not sure how many years I’ve known Ann Hackett of aHa! Designs but it’s been awhile. I would guess it has been for almost that long as she’s been doing graphic design work for me.
So I was honored when she and her husband Tony invited me as their guest to watch Ann receive the very prestigious Business First of Buffalo40 Under 40 Award on Thursday evening.
The goal of the award has always been to identify 40 men and women — under the age of 40, of course — who are successful in their professions and heavily involved in community activities. Ann has been a leader in so many community success but likely her most famous is her work with the Taste of Buffalo where she rose from volunteer to Chairperson of the huge and successful event in short order.
Congratulations Ann!
Tags: advertising, commentary, community by peter k. o'connell, your friendly, neighborhood voice-over talent Comments Off on the youngster takes home the prize
Ok, well there’s actually nothing to win but certainly check your mail!
Back when I drank colas, Pepsi was my go to beverage. I drank Pepsi at least 3-4 times a day, from my high school days up to maybe 5-6 years ago. I loved the stuff, especially from a fountain. Mmmmmm!
