Female Political Narration Voice Over

When it comes to political ads, there’s a whole lot of passion. Perhaps no other style of voice over talent contains such a variety of raw emotion for the sake of convincing its listeners to act. Anger, disgust, desperation, sarcasm, cynicism, pride, heroism, admiration and more are all commonly portrayed in present day political ads. The voice over artist is an instrumental part of conveying that messaging. They must be capable of reaching through the radio or television and pulling the heartstrings, or stoking the fire, of those who are listening. Choosing a voice over actor who is credible and convincing is undoubtedly a key component of a campaign’s success.

Why Journalism Helps

Kristen has joint degrees in political science and broadcast journalism. As a reporter for more than two decades, she has interviewed countless politicians and covered many campaigns and political events. For decades, her job has required objectivity and an ability to convey the viewpoint of an issue or candidate, even if she didn’t agree. Delivery from either side of the aisle. This has made it easy to transition into a voice over career that includes projects from varying viewpoints. Whether a positive ad with a ‘girl next door’ conversational feel, or the point-blank criticism of a candidate negative spot.

There are five main styles of political advertisements we commonly hear and see. Each with its own distinct tone and message. Listen next time you hear a political ad on the radio. I bet you’ll easily identify which of these categories it fits into:

• Candidate Positive – This is the campaign ad that portrays the candidate as a hero, focusing primarily on their views about relevant issues, their personal experiences and virtues that make them the ideal candidate for the job. It describes major “wins” as well as all the ways he or she makes the world a better place. The tone is uplifting, inspirational, joyous and encouraging. The goal is to convince listeners that this candidate is the best thing since sliced bread.
• Candidate Negative – The exact opposite of the candidate positive ad, the negative spot is essentially an attack on a candidates’ character or record. It often describes the candidates political or personal decisions as foolish, irresponsible or evil, and paints a picture of how this candidate will make poor choices if elected, causing harm to you, your community, or our country. The tone is often angry, mocking, disgusted and condescending. The goal? To paint a picture of a political opponent and his or her election as being unfit for the job. A disaster to our society.
• Issue Positive – Issue positive ads often inspire an audience to act. A recent study from the Kellogg School shows that positive ads can increase overall voter turnout. These campaigns are aimed at inspiring hope and change and usually have a more cheery or enthusiastic tone. Think smiling babies, flags waving and uplifting music.
• Issue Negative – As you have likely guessed, an issue negative ad aims to portray an issue in a negative light. In one study, negative campaigns were shown to raise awareness of a problem and stimulate anxiety about an issue. Think rotting garbage, dilapidated homes and neighborhoods in ruins. Negative ads provoke feelings of fear, dread, unease and despair.
• Comedy/Snark – This style of political ad is more commonly used with negative messaging and uses mocking or sarcasm to convey a message. Often portraying a candidate as ridiculous or foolish in a laughable way.