American Accents And Their Impact On Advertising

Making adverts memorable is harder than you might think. You can make an incredibly polished, beautiful advert, but it could be totally forgettable. Sometimes low budget, clever adverts go totally viral.

It isn’t luck of the draw though, it all comes down to decisions about clever details, such as the accent of the person voicing or starring in the advert.

For an English-speaking audience, you could be considering an American voice over as British and American accents tend to be the most popular voiceover options.

Both British and American accents can be great in advertising, each offering their own nuances and interest to the project. American accents in particular come with a wide range of regional dialects and regional accents, each having a different effect on the advert and how it comes across. Let’s take a closer look:

It All Depends Which American Accent You Use

The neutral American accent used in advertising is defined by having no specific features that point it to one region. This accent is most commonly seen used by news readers in America, and in the UK it might not be especially identifiable by those who aren’t from America.

If the advert is being presented in America, regional accents can help endear the marketing to a specific region. However, that clearly limits the usage of the advert to one very specific area, which could be a disadvantage.

Outside of America, regional accents are then open to stereotypes, which can be a positive and a negative. A deep Southern accent, for example, could be a clear message about a brand or product identity, offering an interesting layer to the makeup of the advert. However, that could also alienate a non-American audience if the product doesn’t warrant the accent. It could also create a ‘novelty’ caricature impression, which may not be the desired effect.

Is An American Accent Right For Your Project?

Before you choose your voiceover actor it is a good idea to consider the stereotypes attached to specific American accents. You can find a handy overview of some of those in this article. If you are advertising in America, you need to be much more specific about where you are advertising, what you are advertising and which accent you use. If you are not in America, the attached stereotypes to an American accent need to be more pronounced so that their use is intentional. It is also important to understand that your use of an American accent is also going to have an impact, regardless of the type of accent you choose.

The most important thing to do if you do want an American starring in your advert is to speak to a professional voice over agency. They can advise you on accent regionality and show you a wide selection of American accents to consider. If you are going to use a specific American accent intentionally, the most important thing is that it is done professionally so that it adds, rather than detracts from your campaign.