The Celebrity Treatment

I was watching TV this morning and I noticed something, other than the fact

that Anderson Cooper gets to go to the most remote and exotic places in the

world for a six-figure salary. I could have sworn I heard Jack Bauer on a

Bank of America commercial. You know, the one that goes "C'mon America, we

saved the bald eagle let's save some money." But why would TV's biggest

badass be selling me on a CD account without a mere mention of his name? I

had to do some research and Google set me straight. As it turns out, Kiefer

Sutherland does do the voice-over and in return he gets a paycheck. No

publicity stunts here. There would be no reason to link a

terrorist-fighting, hi-tech gadget carrying character with a savings

oriented banking chain. When I watched the commercial again (ah technology)

it didn't put me to mind of a TV hero, but instead created a level of

comfort between myself and an otherwise average bank.

My research led me to another finding; Bank of America and 24’s star aren't

the only ones getting in on the action. Beer companies, insurance agencies

and even law firms are relying on voice recognition to draw clients in. Who

wouldn’t want to hear Morgan Freeman introduce the evening news? That’s

exactly what CBS thought. And Budweiser wants us to know that George Clooney

also likes to kick back with a cold one. Tim Allen might know a whole hell

of a lot about power tools, but also knows the strength that Campbell’s soup

has on the soul. So do commercials really need a Hollywood star to sell

product? Not at all. This is great news, considering the fact that A-list

stars are synonymous with an A-list budget. What advertisers do need is a

signature voice. If you have the budget, then hire Gene Hackman, but if you

don’t, then you can rest easy knowing that there are plenty of experienced

and unique voice talent professionals who don’t have an agent that goes by

the name of Ari Gold. It could be as simple as a deep and powerful voice

telling you that Sunday is the day monster trucks will battle it out in the

pit of death. Enter Propulsion Media Labs: A-list talent at not so A-list

prices...and when you contact them to book your next professional voice,

it's YOU that gets treated like the celebrity.

Nicole Devine

Intern, Propulsion Media Labs

Professional Writing Major, Kutztown University