The latest issue of my Radio Advertising Letter includes a discussion of whether station announcers should voice commercials in the first person (“I”), as well as an eye-opening declaration from one of the all-time copywriting masters.
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We have had the policy of “no first person” in a commercial read by station personnel since WCLV was established in 1962. When a
client’s logo line has a “first person” use, we get around it by
saying, “As (client’s name) says…..”
Robert Conrad
WCLV (FM)
Cleveland, OH
3rd person is our policy, too. Still, numerous scripts come from clients that are so first person, they forget to mention the clients’ names in the messages. If you’re trying to get name awareness and associate that name with a life-changing solution to a problem, use the name of the client – not endless insertions of we, us, our, etc. – at least some of the time. Too much can be annoying, especially if it’s a long name, but if you go by what the listener would normally use in conversation, it’s definitely better than first person.
BTW: We warn AE’s in advance that any script will be changed – without any advance notice – to 3rd person if it comes to production in 1st person context. Sometimes it can be tricky, especially when the client we, us, or our in the first few lines – instead of the name of the business or product – meaning a sentence restructuring AND and a client name insertion. No complaints yet, but it’s only 30 years. There’s still time.
We have the same policy for all the reasons you mentioned and more. If a script is delivered in first person the client has a right to expect exclusivity for that voice in their product category. We don’t have enough available voice talent to do that. Consequently the same person may have to voice more than one motorcycle dealer or more than one mortgage company, etc. By reserving first person for voices that actually represent the client directly it also adds more value and more credibility to that style.
I agree with all the reasons you stated. I tell all my students to change the copy that I hand out in class. Don’t use “we, I our” or any wording that implies an endorsement of the product or service. There are exceptions and some of my former students are doing some endorsing without being forced into it. Goes along with some of the live copy that they are now reading. Also, I think the FCC has it on their agenda to do some investigating of endorsements/testimonials of celebrities.
And don’t forget the lasik surgeries that talent involved themselves in that didn’t work.