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Commercials with Celebrity voices

Posted on 5/21/09 at 1:50 pm
Posted by lsumatt
Austin
Member since Feb 2005
12812 posts
Posted on 5/21/09 at 1:50 pm
I have had questions about this sometime. Lots of commercials are narrated by celebrities. Most of the time they don't announce who it is, but their voice is well known. Even if you don't identify the person, subconsciously you recognize it. Clearly, they pay these guys a shite ton of money for the commercial.

My question is this: What is to stop them from getting your average joe who sounds exactly like (or can change their voice to do so) Morgan Freeman, Tom Selleck, or Matthew Mcconaughey? They don't ever claim it is them. I know there are rules on using someone's likeness, but does voice fall under that?
Posted by oompaw
In piney hill country...
Member since Dec 2007
6271 posts
Posted on 5/21/09 at 1:55 pm to
There's no mistaking James Earl Jones.

Oh and that's really Johnny Cash singing in the hotel commercials.
This post was edited on 5/21/09 at 1:56 pm
Posted by ehidal1
Chief Boot Knocka
Member since Dec 2007
37322 posts
Posted on 5/21/09 at 2:01 pm to
I can't tell if its Morgan Freeman or not in those L'Bergue Du Lac (sp?) casino commercials. It really sounds like him, but parts of it makes me wonder.
Posted by classictiger
Member since Mar 2007
5795 posts
Posted on 5/21/09 at 2:05 pm to
Lowe's = Gene Hackman
Posted by Acreboy
Member since Nov 2005
38568 posts
Posted on 5/21/09 at 2:07 pm to
Laura Peprone (sp?)Donna "That 70's Show" Pizza Hut
This post was edited on 5/21/09 at 2:07 pm
Posted by reggie gajan
Member since Aug 2006
891 posts
Posted on 5/21/09 at 2:07 pm to
Verizon Blackberry Storm = Jim from The Office
Posted by lsumatt
Austin
Member since Feb 2005
12812 posts
Posted on 5/21/09 at 2:09 pm to
I heard like 4 different commercials during LOST finale with celebrities; 3 of which were car commercials.

They probably pay these guys $100K or more and some aren't especially noticeable voices (I am not talking James Earl Jones here). They could probably pay some idiot $3K (and for all I know they did).
Posted by TigerinATL
Member since Feb 2005
62446 posts
Posted on 5/21/09 at 2:10 pm to
quote:

I know there are rules on using someone's likeness, but does voice fall under that?


Yes, I don't know what the rules are but it's common for radio commercials to use celebrity impersonators and they always have a disclaimer at the end letting you know it was impersonated.
Posted by lsumatt
Austin
Member since Feb 2005
12812 posts
Posted on 5/21/09 at 2:16 pm to
quote:

they always have a disclaimer at the end letting you know it was impersonated.


If someone is is obviously impersonating President Bush or Arnold Schwarzenegger and acting like them, then yeah obviously.

But if the radio commercial uses John Smith who naturally sounds like Tom Cruise and just narrates a commercial (without alluding to Tom Cruise at all), do they have to put in a disclaimer?
Posted by barry
Location, Location, Location
Member since Aug 2006
51333 posts
Posted on 5/21/09 at 2:54 pm to
zach braff has one where he was a puppy and i didn't even notice till my wife pointed it out and i watch scrubs everyday.
Posted by Kracka
Lafayette, Louisiana
Member since Aug 2004
42122 posts
Posted on 5/21/09 at 3:09 pm to
Is that Patrick Dempsey that does all the state farm commercials?
Posted by Judge Smails
Native Son of NELA
Member since Mar 2008
5565 posts
Posted on 5/21/09 at 3:14 pm to
I believe George Clooney voices some of the Budweiser commercials. Isn't Morgan Freeman doing that new Visa commercial with the pizza dough?
Posted by TigerinATL
Member since Feb 2005
62446 posts
Posted on 5/21/09 at 3:20 pm to
quote:

Is that Patrick Dempsey that does all the state farm commercials?


Like you didn't take enough grief for having a crush on george
Posted by Murtagh
Metairie, La
Member since Feb 2008
2044 posts
Posted on 5/21/09 at 3:41 pm to
There are those Herb import company commercials (that need to die) where they impersonate the whole cast of family guy and star wars.

Everytime one comes on, i turn to a different station.
Posted by CTP182
Baton Rouge
Member since Aug 2008
168 posts
Posted on 5/21/09 at 3:44 pm to
quote:

zach braff has one where he was a puppy and i didn't even notice till my wife pointed it out and i watch scrubs everyday.


Think he also does one for Pur water filters
Posted by jrowla2
Colorado
Member since Jan 2007
4170 posts
Posted on 5/21/09 at 3:47 pm to
quote:

I can't tell if its Morgan Freeman or not in those L'Bergue Du Lac (sp?) casino commercials. It really sounds like him, but parts of it makes me wonder.



exactly what I thought when I read this thread

its not him though, at least thats what I think but its meant to sound exactly like him

To answer they question, Im sure you can use a likeness of someones voice but it cant be something ridiculous or a clear impersonation, then they could sue.
Posted by Fewer Kilometers
Baton Rouge
Member since Dec 2007
37925 posts
Posted on 5/21/09 at 4:22 pm to
Bert Lahr (Cowardly Lion of Oz fame) sued.

Wiki:
quote:

When the character of Snagglepuss was used for a series of cereal television commercials in the 1960s, Lahr filed a lawsuit, claiming that the similarity of the Snagglepuss voice to his own might cause viewers to falsely conclude that Lahr was endorsing the product. As part of the settlement the disclaimer "Snagglepuss voice by Daws Butler" was required to appear on each commercial, thus making Butler one of the few voice artists to receive a screen credit in a TV commercial.
Posted by TigerMyth36
River Ridge
Member since Nov 2005
41044 posts
Posted on 5/21/09 at 5:01 pm to
John Corbett from Sex and The City and Northern Exposure fame appears to be doing the Applebees adds.
Posted by mark65mc
Baton Rouge
Member since Dec 2007
11499 posts
Posted on 5/21/09 at 5:10 pm to
Keifer Sutherland does the Bank of America adds.

It pisses me off because, I am a 24 fan and I HATE Bank of America.
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