No, you’re not imagining it. The celebrity voices aren’t in your head — they’re coming from that TV commercial shilling insurance policies, batteries or cars. These days it seems like every 30 seconds another superstar, whether it be Jeff Bridges for Duracell or Matt Damon for TD Ameritrade, is lending his or her vocal cords to advertising.
Take John Corbett — the actor best known for “Northern Exposure” and “Sex and the City” — who’s now stumping for Walgreens.
Corbett, who had previously done enthusiastic voice work for Applebee’s, was at the top of advertising agency GSD&M’s list of voice actors, thanks to his approachable tone. It was a calculated plan to counter-program against common beliefs that pharmacies are cold and clinical.
“If you’re going to use a celebrity voice-over, you’re borrowing the equity,” explains Victor Camozzi, SVP and group creative director of GSD&M. “You’re going in there thinking, ‘I’ve got 30 seconds and I want people to see my brand this way. So who’s a voice that already automatically brings that emotion to it?’ ”
Corbett was the perfect fit.
“He has a voice that is warm without going so far as to be saccharine or syrupy,” says Camozzi. “It’s approachable without going so far as to seem too casual, and there’s a thoughtfulness without seeming aloof or ivory tower.”
Jon Hamm is another actor who has become a hot ticket recently, voicing spots for both Mercedes-Benz and American Airlines.
“He has a really strong voice that tells a story,” says Vann Graves, an executive creative director of McCann Erickson New York, which produced the American spots. “Because we’re going through a transformative phase, we wanted a serious, thoughtful voice, but with a bit of wit as well.”
Graves says that the instant recognizability for fans is key, and that the irony that a “Mad Men” plot point had Don Draper chasing American Airlines was not lost on them. “It does open the door for people wanting to listen a little more,” he says.
But for those in the advertising industry, not every celebrity voice-over makes sense. For every perfect pairing, such as John Krasinski for warm, fuzzy Esurance ads or Lisa Kudrow for real-talk, girl-talk Yoplait spots, there are head-scratchers like the sardonic character actor Will Arnett for Bank of America or the despondent Kevin Spacey for Lenscrafters.
Mike Byrne, partner and global creative director at noted ad agency Anomaly, says that if the celebrity’s connection to the product is fuzzy, it can feel like an inauthentic payday. Case in point: Kevin Bacon for Buick.
“That’s one where, not that I’m an accountant, but I’m not sure that brings a whole lot of value,” says Byrne. “Did the client and the agency sit down and say, ‘Hey, we really want Kevin Bacon.’ ‘Why?’ ‘I don’t know, did you see “Footloose”?’ ” (A rep for Buick says Bacon brings “a sense of humor, smile and intelligence to the brand.”)
Sometimes a celebrity, no matter how famous, can rub people the wrong way, as possibly evidenced by Julia Roberts, who talks deductibles for Nationwide.
“Her voice alone is fine, but as a personality, she’s a bit cold,” says Byrne. “And that’s insurance, so that probably wouldn’t have been my first choice.”
Byrne concedes that that’s not the case for some big names — when you’re talking A-list, sometimes you don’t need a reason to cast.
“George Clooney is our modern-day Cary Grant,” he says. “He’s stand-up and I trust him. He could talk about toilet paper, and I’d pay attention.”
gregorymiller@nypost.com