A Loyal Reader Asks:
“What are your thoughts on copy where the local talent producing the spot says ‘we,’ ‘us,’ ‘our’ and so forth in the commercial? As in: ‘At X Salon OUR stylists….’
“Should the person doing the voiceover say those words when it isn’t their salon?
“Especially when the same voice is being used on other salon commercials running on the station?”
— Chris Connor
No.
The advertiser is paying for access to your audience and, hopefully, your expertise in influencing that audience.
They are not paying for your endorsement.
Even if it didn’t raise questions concerning the recently revised FTC guidelines re: endorsements in advertising, it still would be a bad practice.
Why?
Because if that same station voice continually is talking about “our” hair salon, “our” department store, “our” automobile dealership….
The use of “our” or “we” loses all meaning and becomes something of a joke to the listener.
Which is good neither for your advertisers nor for your radio station.
Comments on this entry are closed.
nooooooooo……
I think NO…especially in the smaller markets where the fewer vo talent that are there, ARE more prevelant or recognizeable. If a listener hears a voice on multiple spots, as passive as they may be, surely they don’t think you’re the one the one that’s going to sell them a couch at Red House Furniture when you invite them in to ‘Come see us’! It just sounds stupid.
Agreed, no.
In TV it’s so easy to run a print disclaimer saying, “Paid spokesperson who does not necessarily endorse the product”…
A recent webinar with a Canadian voice over teacher included a spec sheet description for a commercial describing a “Buy Out”. The talent doing the commercial could not do another commercial for similar product for a time period. While they did not say , “We, or I”, the identification of talent with specific product outlet was desired, intended, hoped for in an effective campaign.
The other thing I would add is, it’s a liability issue for the station.
Hypothetically: Morning DJ says in a spot “our oil-change service is only $14.99 at Quick Lube”. Listener goes to Quick Lube, then gets charged for other unmentioned services, etc. The Listener could then, in theory, come back to the station and claim the DJ and Station
engaged in false advertising.
It’s rare, yes…but I wouldn’t want to roll those dice. That’s the rule I’ve always gone by.
Nope!
Absolutely not. Once you say “we” you are considered a spokesperson….
When I was in the business, I absolutely refused to do it. I have one of those “recognizable” voices and people knew who was talking when they heard me. They knew damn well I didn’t work at Zippy Lube, so I was damned if I was gonna say “we” and “our” when “they” and “their” worked perfectly well.
got a few of those commercials floating around at the moment sadly. I agree that you shouldn’t say we… So, what.. I work at the tyre company/gym/shopping center/coffee shop.. and do a drive shift also??
With the state of radio these days, it wouldn’t surprise me that after the airshift the jock has to pull a 8-hour shift at Zippy Lube too.
Profession…radio host/Waffle House Waitress
OUR people make the difference!
Morning Guy / Night Club DJ
Like Rodney Dangerfield said, “No pictures, I don’t wanna be seen here!”
One thing worse: Point of narrator’s view going from first person to third person and back. Please make it one or the other, preferably third-person.
‘We’ includes ‘you’. Unless you are an owner, partner or paid endorser (and therefore an employee), the answer must be no use of ‘we’.
One of my pet peeves, and the first thing I learned my first day of radio school…NO! Only if you’re out of market. Oh, p.s., your P.D.just called and wants you to stick a broom up your keister and sweep up while you’re doing your airshift…such is the state of the business today! lol.
Absolutely NO where local radio personalities are concerned – though in most cases they have to share the blame with lazy/careless copywriters.
Even commercials that employ well-known voices — celebrity spokesmen, actors, and so forth — lose credibility, in my estimation, when they try to position themselves as one with the advertiser. I’m much more likely to believe that individual when he’s recommending the company/product/service as a consumer (even if he isn’t, really).
The late, great Paul Harvey – a consummate pitchman for his advertisers – always spoke of them in the third person.
It’s a bad cliche, sad part is, when you have a copywriter stuck in a rut, in a factory atmosphere that is commonly happening in a local radio station setting, crap like that gets on the air because no one has time to care, or no one cares in general, because $$$$ drives things.
bad as “our” and “us” sounds, it’s also the talent doing the read that can emphasize the words in the read that make a huge difference. I know the typical “over the top hey I pull my voice like I am still in the 70’s” type announcers (that surprisingly enough are still our there) would just come off so plastic and used car salesmanish with those words emphasized, I cringe to take it seriously.
Talent can also downplay the words and still make it sound good. Not everyone can do this, but if they can, it certainly can be a nice compromise if client insists the copy has to be read with that context.
no matter how you do it, if you actually want to build some kind of valid relationship and get the listeners attention, plastic words and plastic delivery won’t do it, but the production studio reality is not everyone sees it that way.
I’ll tell you my pet peeve phrase “as well” it sounds clumsy on the ear, is often over emphasized, and just lacks good writing skills and flow. I’d rather use “also” or “plus” as they are more positive. “as well” sound like your just throwing in anything that follows the phrase. and you don’t really care.
I brought up this very same issue with my GM once, and he told me to keep my nose out of sales business. He was also a firm believer in 60 second spots. Yeah, the ones that ramble on and on. I told him, “wouldn’t it be great to go to your clients and tell them ‘I know times are tough, we are going to give you twice as many spots’?” He didn’t believe in making shorter spots, and developing ad campaigns.