Part I Should I Appear in My Own Commercials?

A client and I had a discussion this morning on the topic of this first installment of a copyrighted article from http://www.smooth-male-voiceover-talent.com/ :

Should I Appear in My Own Commercials?

Appearing in, or voicing, one's own commercial can be a very effective tool...it can also be a clever ploy by the media sales rep to obscure the effectiveness of a campaign. In this article, we'll explore the positives, the negatives, and the hidden agendas in producing an advertising spot.

Having the CEO, owner, manager of a company appear in his/her own commercials, radio or television, has been utilized for decades with differing degrees of success (or disaster). Victor Kiam (Remington), Dave Thomas (Wendy's) and Lee Iacocca (Chrysler) are three of the most successful national examples of the past 25 years; each an articulate person of conviction, integrity, and charm. Examples of success exist in every local market as well, and every region of the country can site their local businessperson/stars.

But far more highly competent business persons come across the airways as cold, dull or, in the worst case, incompetent and foolish. Watching these persons one becomes uncomfortable and embarrassed, hardly the stuff of which sales are made. And while it is true that some have been wildly successful as spectacularly poor pitch-persons, most just keep spending money for ineffective commercials that fail to make the cash register ring.

In the next installment we'll answer the question of why, given the risks vs. the rewards, do clients still choose to appear in their own spots?