One of my all-time favorite spots is a PSA for seat belt use produced by Sarah Alexander of the UK. This PSA has no voiceover, just music...and it brings chills to my spine every time I watch it.
I have always been an advocate of spots that are driven by music with little or no use of a voice. I won my very first Addy award many years ago with a sports promo that had no voice, just music. I believe it is an effective way to grab a viewer’s attention, and in today’s cluttered world of advertising, producers and ad managers must consider every option to help a message stand out.
Think about this…when you are watching TV, or just have it on in the background, there is always a voice coming from it…someone is always talking. But when the talking stops, what happens…you turn and look at the TV…the lack of a voice grabs your attention. That ‘disruption’ is one of the main reasons for using ‘no voice’ as an intentional effect for your production.
This is by no means a push to get rid of voiceovers…I have produced hundreds, if not a thousand or more ads in my career, and the overwhelming majority have included a voiceover. In most cases, a voice is necessary to help drive the intended result. However, there are times when going with just music, and/or sfx results in a much more effective spot…one that grabs your attention and provokes emotion.
I was the Creative Services Director at WVEC-TV when we produced this 'Bottled Water' special report promo. We originally had a voiceover cut, but after looking at (and listening to) the spot with the voice, it was apparent that it would be considerably more effective if we removed the voiceover and utilize just music and sfx. The result was not only a bump in the ratings that night when the story aired, but this promo went on to win an Emmy for the station and our creative team.
So, the next time your ad agency or production team says they want to produce a spot with no voice, listen to them, and give it serious consideration as a viable option for your marketing message.