Holiday Voiceover

Even earlier than retailers, creatives have holiday campaigns in the works.

No matter what holiday is being celebrated, many advertisers and marketing teams struggle to come up with something new for these cultural celebrations while others embrace traditional advertising messages.

Advertising agencies and in-house creative teams constantly seek unique ways to drive sales tied to every holiday we can celebrate. A quick browse through the National Day Calendar provides a veritable cornucopia (See what I did there?) of holidays to creatively capitalize on every day of the year.

A Holiday Ad about Holiday Ads

In fact, one radio ad I voiced for MMGY Global capitalized on the capitalization of crazy holidays. I loved the fun copy, and what made it even more special was that I voiced it with my best friend and mentor, Zak Miller shortly before he passed away. Listening to it years later, I still laugh at his VO delivery on it.

Directions – Specs – VO Tones for Holiday Ads

Depending on the feel of the holiday ad or project, voice actors are directed to sound warm, sincere, stressed, real, empathetic, storyteller, excited and oftentimes we’re asked for character voices. I was a snarky poinsettia for Audi and a witch for Chuck E. Cheese in addition to being a variety of elf voices over the years.

As an ode to holiday VO sessions, I wrote this silly short spoof on “Twas the Night Before Christmas,” called “Twas the Middle of Voicemas.”

The video presentation of it tops this blog post.

‘Twas Just Before Voicemas, by Kelley Buttrick

Inspired by ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas, by Clement C. Moore

Twas just before Voicemas and all through the studio in the house
Nothing was stirring, not even a computer mouse.

The headphones were hung on the copy stand with care,
In hopes that piles of scripts would soon be there.

The clients were nestled all snug in their beds
While visions of holiday campaigns played out in their heads.

The copy writer in flow, and I drinking my tea
Are all settled in for the busiest holiday creative season we’ll see.

When from our computers email pings clatter.
We jump from our beds to see session schedules fatter.

Away to our booths we VOs fly like a flash
Logging in to open our Source Connect like a window sash.

The shine on our screens casts our faces aglow
Giving vision to voices the Zoom session shows.

When what to our wondering eyes do appear
But a snowstorm of specs casting wants to hear.

The director’s in our headphones so clever and quick,
We know in a moment his directions will stick.

More rapid than retail promotions they came.
So VO talents step up to the mic and crank up the gain.

Now warm, Now stressed, Now faster and emphasize the name.
On my mark, On brand, On time…but sound the same.

To the top of the script! To the top, do not stall.
Now voice away, Voice away, Voice away all.

Thanksgiving – Christmas – Hanukkah – Kwanzaa – New Year’s Winter Holidays

From traditional footage of families around the menorah or lighting candles for Kwanzaa to sledding Santas and a heroic Mrs. Claus, winter holiday commercials run the gambut.

Chevy ran a two-page ad in nine national magazines celebrating Kawanzaa, and years ago Hallmark tugged on our heartstrings for Hanakkuh with their “Old Friends” commercial. The Norelco Santa ad ran for more than 50 years in different versions but all featuring him sledding in on a Norelco Razor’s safety screen. Target celebrated pretty much all the winter holidays at once in their 2021 “Holidays are Meant to be Shared” television commercial.

One of my personal favorites was the Marks & Spencer extended ad created by RKCR/Y&R and directed by Academy Award-winning director, Tom Hopper. In “Christmas with Love, Mrs. Claus,” we see the polar opposite of a traditional home-maker Mrs. Claus. Instead, we see a James Bond like modern badass who helps a little boy give the sister he’s tortured all year, but loves dearly, the perfect gift.

Okay, time to get real. We’ve all teared up at the Publix Thanksgiving TV commercials. Admit it. They got you too.

Let’s not forget all of the pre and post-holiday ads maximizing holiday ad value with Black Friday, After-Christmas Sales and Christmas in July promotions.

Ages ago, I voiced two years of Toys R Us holiday campaigns. Each booking was a 4-hour, high-energy session. The pre-holiday ads were targeted more to get kids hyped up about certain toys, and the Black Friday and After Christmas sales ads were aimed at parents looking to save money.

Holiday Commercial Timelines

The voice-over holiday season is usually the busiest for professional voice actors. Often, it’s when we throw our hours of operation out the window to make sure our clients are getting their VO in time with quicker turnarounds than any other time of the year. It’s why I bring my portable recording gear with me whenever I leave town between August and January.

While holiday commercial VO sessions usually begin in August and crank up toward the end of that month really picking up speed through September, this year my first holiday VO was in June for a holiday promo on the Home Shopping Network. That makes total sense of course since it’s usually the retail clients who kick off each year’s Voicemas.

Personally, I love the holiday season. When the director tells me to sound joyful, warm and excited about holiday copy when in my reality it’s 100 degrees and humid outside, it’s not a stretch.