By Peter K. O’Connell

The line between brilliant and stupid is often blurred when you own a small business.

It’s frequently crossed when you’re also responsible for the creative marketing for said business.

I am a creative guy and I have many good ideas. That’s not ego…I have cashed the checks that confirm that fact.

What you can also bank on is the fact that I have had some really bad ideas that I thought were swell. There is not one creative person who hasn’t lived this truth.

So whether the following is a swell idea or a stinker will have to be left up to history to decide.

We hold these truths to be self evident that this is the honest Abe story.

It’s coming up on the Midterm Elections and I have updated my political commercial demo for campaign managers and political advertising consultants to listen to as they hire voices for all the political ads.

Not quite as important as album cover art of my youth, but the art/look/branding that goes along with political demos can help keep the voice talent as memorable in the buyer’s mind as the voice demo does within the buyer’s ear.

In the past, photos involving the U.S. Capitol and American Flag have adorned my political demo branding — which looked about as bland as it now sounds.

But what could I come up with as a better idea?

Then I saw an old postage stamp with my pal Abe Lincoln on it. Then I thought ‘what if I created an image of that kind of old time presidential stamp but with picture of me looking kind of old timey.’ All red white and blue but with an 1800’s feel to it.

It had to have a little humor to it so everyone was in on the joke. So working off the Lincoln stamp, I grabbed an old picture of me, put “26” where the stamp cost was supposed to be (for 2026), I put “MIDTERM ELECTIONS” where it said U.S POSTAGE etc., and of course added a microphone to make it blatantly clear what this image was about.

SO this is either another gold standard in voiceover political branding or absolute egotistical crap that will haunt me to my deathbed.

Male Political Voiceover Talent Peter K. O’Connell has released a new Political Commercial Voiceover Demo

In either case, I promise the political voiceover demo is really good.

About Peter K. O’Connell
Peter K. O’Connell is an award-winning male voice actor with more than 40 years of political commercial voiceover experience. He provides political voiceover for radio, television, digital and campaign advertising from his professional Source-Connect equipped studio.

[Listen to my Political Voiceover Demo]

Tags: branding, marketing, political advertising by peter k. o'connell, your friendly, neighborhood voice-over talent
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By Peter K. O’Connell

I’d like to tell you that my voiceover team of agents, managers and hangers-on (you know, family 😉 ) gather together in a modern, cool conference room where we all looked at all the analytics, reviewed the data and crunched the numbers to determine it was time, nay, the audience has demanded I craft a new political commercial voiceover demo.

No such thing happened.

Well I take that back, part of that happened in that I have a weekly meeting with some fellow marketing-focused voice talents. One of them has talked for weeks about crafting her new political voiceover demo. Well, after about the 3^rd time, I thought maybe I should review mine.

Male Political Voice Talent Peter K. O’Connell has released a new Political Commercial Voiceover Demo

So I did. I made a new political commercial demo for the 2026 Midterm Elections.

The trick is in making a worthwhile political commercial demo that show my professional vocal versatility as well as the most popular styles of political commercial (so political advertising consultants and campaign managers hear the best work)

You have likely heard all about political attack ads — everyone hates them and decries them as the end of civilization. Except research shows the attack ads continue to sway voters. So it’s OK to not like attack ads but it’s also your fault we record them. J

But there are OTHER types of political commercials that I voice as well: candidate introduction and biography ads, positive/pro-candidate ads (sometimes called image ads), issue advertising, opposition ads (not quite an attack ad – it usually points out the opposite of the Pro or Con ads it is opposing),  contrast ads (“John Smith” believes this while “Mary Taylor” believes this), ballot initiatives, PAC advertising (aka political action committees, testimonials (this is where I have sound completely natural and NOT at all announcery),  GOTV ads (Get Out The Vote ads – reminding people to vote), patriotic/values-based spots (a lot of heart strings are pulled), political humor ads and then narration for political campaign videos.

Oh, and I have to get all that in within about :60 seconds!

Of course, I can’t get ALL that in…but I what I have shows a great deal of my range, abilities and personalities (yes, personality plural…often people say “wait, all those voices were YOU?!”)

The last question people not in voiceover ask me about my political commercial work is ‘are you red or blue?’

Simply put: while I am not aligned with any political party, I provide political campaign voiceover services solely for candidates who fully support the Pro-Life platform.

So if I can be of any help with the production of local, regional or national political commercials, please contact me. Thanks!

About Peter K. O’Connell
Peter K. O’Connell is an award-winning male voice actor with more than 40 years of political commercial voiceover experience. He provides political voiceover for radio, television, digital and campaign advertising from his professional Source-Connect equipped studio.

[Listen to my Political Voiceover Demo]

Tags: commentary, political advertising by peter k. o'connell, your friendly, neighborhood voice-over talent
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By Peter K. O’Connell

There is no single “political voice.”

You say “Obviously, silly man, there cannot be a single political voice when there are thousands of political ads produced in each election cycle!”

A candidate biography spot shouldn’t necessarily sound like an attack ad. A ballot initiative may need a completely different approach from a patriotic campaign commercial. And sometimes the most effective political voiceover doesn’t sound like an announcer at all.

It sounds like a voter.

Political voiceover styles can include the friendly and conversational everyman, the reassuring voice of reason, a persuasive announcer, an incredulous voter, a subtle influencer or the harder-edged delivery required for an opposition or attack spot.

The important part isn’t simply sounding serious, concerned or angry.

It’s sounding believable.

Political Voiceover Has to Understand the Voter

Political commercials aren’t simply about candidates and issues. They’re also about how voters feel about them.

A campaign message may be speaking to voters who are hopeful, frustrated, angry, worried or simply looking for someone they can trust. Hot-button issues such as the economy, taxes, public safety, immigration, healthcare, education or abortion can bring very different emotions to a political commercial.

The voice talent has to understand that emotion without overplaying it.

A voter worried about the economy may call for a concerned, conversational read. A public safety spot might require greater urgency. A candidate biography may need warmth and optimism, while an attack ad could call for disbelief, frustration or controlled anger.

That’s where political voiceover becomes more than simply reading the words correctly. The voice has to serve the message, the issue and the voter the campaign is trying to reach.

Political advertising may include candidate introduction and biography spots, positive campaign ads, issue advertising, ballot initiatives, PAC advertising, testimonials, patriotic spots, political humor, opposition advertising and attack ads.

Each one has a different job to do.

For the voice talent, that means understanding the message, the intended audience and the emotion behind the words before deciding how to deliver them.

Sometimes the strongest political read isn’t the biggest one.

It’s the one voters believe.

About Peter K. O’Connell
Peter K. O’Connell is an award-winning male voice actor with more than 40 years of political commercial voiceover experience. He provides political voiceover for radio, television, digital and campaign advertising from his professional Source-Connect equipped studio.

[Listen to my Political Voiceover Demo]

Tags: commentary, political advertising by peter k. o'connell, your friendly, neighborhood voice-over talent
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By Peter K. O’Connell

There aren’t many industries where deadlines move quite as quickly as political advertising.

Scripts change. Polling changes. An opponent says something. A new issue suddenly becomes important. And the political commercial that wasn’t needed yesterday may need to be recorded and in production today.

It is often a jolting moment when an especially urgent/vital/’defcon1′ call or email comes to me from a campaign, especially the calls. The tension of the situation in their voices makes you want to respond even quicker to hopefully relieve their greater than normal stress levels.

More than get the job done, you want to help, you want to pitch in to fix the problem.

After more than 40 years of providing political voiceover, I’ve learned that being able to deliver the read is only part of the job.

1. Be a good listener – HEAR what they’re asking for, ask clarifying questions etc.
2. Drop everything else and get focused on them

Political consultants need a voice talent who understands the clock and if you don’t, you won’t be their voice talent very long.

All together it means being available as much as possible, whenever possible, responding quickly, taking direction well and understanding that a script revision isn’t necessarily a creative crisis. Sometimes it’s simply another Tuesday during campaign season.

And sometimes it is a creative crisis they need me to solve for them.

The read itself can also change dramatically from one spot to another. A candidate introduction may call for warmth and credibility. An issue ad may need authority and urgency. An attack ad might require disbelief, frustration or a harder edge without becoming a caricature.

Whatever their approach, my objective is the same: understand what the script is trying to communicate and deliver a believable performance that helps tell the story. Even in pressure situations, maybe especially in pressure situations, I get ‘er done.

My studio offers fast turnaround and live directed political voiceover sessions through Source-Connect, Zoom, Teams or phone patch.

Because Election Day isn’t moving, so neither can the recording deadline.

About Peter K. O’Connell
Peter K. O’Connell is an award-winning male voice actor with more than 40 years of political commercial voiceover experience. He provides political voiceover for radio, television, digital and campaign advertising from his professional Source-Connect equipped studio.

[Listen to my Political Voiceover Demo]

Tags: political advertising by peter k. o'connell, your friendly, neighborhood voice-over talent
No Comments »

By Peter K. O’Connell

There is no single “political voice.”

While you may be saying “Obviously, silly man, there are thousands of political commercial produced every election cycle!” OK, I know that but hear me out.

Logic dictates that a candidate biography spot probably shouldn’t sound like an attack ad. A ballot initiative may need a completely different approach from a patriotic campaign commercial.

To me, the most effective political voiceover doesn’t sound like an announcer at all.

It sounds like a voter. In script and in voiceover. That’s the art of it.

Political voiceover styles can include the friendly and conversational everyman, the reassuring voice of reason, a persuasive announcer, an incredulous voter, a subtle influencer or the harder-edged delivery required for an opposition or attack spot.

The important part isn’t simply sounding serious, concerned or angry.

It’s sounding believable. Clearly, after 40+ years voicing political commercials, I’ve had some experience in this area. (Note I said experience, not expert).

Political Voiceover Has to Understand the Voter

Political commercials aren’t simply about candidates and issues. They’re also about how voters feel about them.

A campaign message may be speaking to voters who are hopeful, frustrated, angry, worried or simply looking for someone they can trust. Hot-button issues such as the economy, taxes, public safety, immigration, healthcare, education or abortion can bring very different emotions to a political commercial.

The voice talent has to understand that emotion without overplaying it. Hence why it’s called voice acting.

A voter worried about the economy may call for a concerned, conversational read. A public safety spot might require greater urgency. A candidate biography may need warmth and optimism, while an attack ad could call for disbelief, frustration or controlled anger.

That’s where political voiceover becomes more than simply reading the words correctly. The voice has to serve the message, the issue and the voter the campaign is trying to reach.

Political advertising may include candidate introduction and biography spots, positive campaign ads, issue advertising, ballot initiatives, PAC advertising, testimonials, patriotic spots, political humor, opposition advertising and attack ads.

Each one has a different job to do.

For the voice talent, that means understanding the message, the intended audience and the emotion behind the words before deciding how to deliver them.

Most times, the strongest political read isn’t the biggest one.

It’s the one voters believe.

[Listen to my Political Voiceover Demo]

About Peter K. O’Connell
Peter K. O’Connell is an award-winning male voice actor with more than 40 years of political commercial voiceover experience. He provides political voiceover for radio, television, digital and campaign advertising from his professional Source-Connect equipped studio.

[Listen to my Political Voiceover Demo]

Tags: commentary, political advertising by peter k. o'connell, your friendly, neighborhood voice-over talent
No Comments »

Voice actor Peter K. O’Connell as Santa…or is it REALLY Santa??

Okay, okay — I know it’s not even Halloween yet. But here I am, having been knee-deep in Christmas scripts for a while.

Sorry folks, the holidays have arrived again (certainly for some months now — in the world of voiceover).

For voice actors, this time of year is pure magic. The studios have been buzzing with holiday energy, and as you’ve seen and heard in retail stores (and some media) ad agencies, production studios, and digital media teams are cranking out festive campaigns for radio, TV, streaming, and social.

It’s honestly one of the most fun times to be behind the mic.

Why the Holidays Matter So Much in Voiceover

The holiday season is huge — not just for shoppers, but for brands and voiceover professionals alike. Here’s a snapshot of just how important Q4 really is in the U.S.:

Top 5 U.S. Holiday Advertising & Consumer Facts:

• U.S. consumers planned to spend around $1,595 on average for the 2025 holiday season. (Deloitte)

• Holiday retail sales were forecast to reach about $1.66?trillion, with 92% of consumers planning to shop this season. (ICSC)

• Nearly half of U.S. shoppers planned to make purchases before Thanksgiving, showing how early brands need to start their campaigns. (Circana 2025 Report)

• U.S. digital ad spending was expected to exceed $300?billion in 2025, with digital video (including CTV) growing around 16% year-over-year. (eMarketer)

• For the 2025 holidays, 37% of consumers planned to shop in September/October, earlier than the 32% planning purchases in November/December. (AdRoll 2025)

Top 5 Voiceover / Audio Advertising Stats:

• Holiday-themed audio ads can boost purchase intent and brand recall by 26%. (Audacy/Consumable)

• In Q4 2024, U.S. listeners spent 67% of daily audio time with ad-supported radio, 18% with podcasts, and 12% with streaming audio. (Nielsen)

• Multi-channel holiday audio ads delivered 55% higher conversions, with festive voiceover cues playing a key role. (Radio Ink Q4 Case Study)

• Retailers using holiday-themed audio ads saw a +5.2-point lift in unaided brand awareness and a +5.7-point boost in purchase intent. (Audacy / Radio Ink)

• In-store audio ads with voiceovers influence Gen-Z buying behavior about 5× more than Baby Boomers during the holiday season. (Vibenomics 2025)

The Fun Part: Playing in Santa’s, er…Peter’s Audio Workshop

This is where it gets really fun for us. Around the holidays, we get to lean into all sorts of characters.

I’ve voiced Santa Claus (more times than I can count), elves, reindeer — even the occasional overly excited toy robot. I haven’t voiced Mrs. Claus…yet!

There’s something special about bringing those characters to life — a blend of storytelling, humor, and warmth that keeps holiday advertising feeling personal and memorable.

Why It All Matters for Commercial Producers and Creative Directors

For producers, ad agency creative directors, studio engineers, and digital media creators, the holidays are go time. In my opinion, the only more pressure-filled, deadline ridden time is political season. That’s a special kind of fast and furious.

In Q4, every project has a rush deadline, every brand wants to sound fresh, and every campaign is racing to hit that emotional sweet spot before the year ends.

That’s where seasoned voice talent comes in — folks who can pivot from warm and cozy to bright and energetic, and who can bring characters (and products) to life under tight turnarounds.

So yes — even though it’s technically spooky-season right now, my studio already smells faintly of pine needles and peppermint. And that’s just fine by me.

Here’s to a busy, merry, and microphone-filled holiday season ahead.

The holiday mic is hot, and my studio smells faintly of peppermint. Need a festive voice for Santa, elves, or quirky toys? Let’s make some Christmas voiceover magic — peter@audioconnell.com | 716-572-1800 or 919-283-1516

Tags: advertising, character voices, commercials, marketing, political advertising, radio, tv, voice talent, voiceover by peter k. o'connell, your friendly, neighborhood voice-over talent
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