Finding the Commercial Read: Who, Where and Why

You guys know me. I love commercials. They’re the lion’s share of my work and I like it that way; I enjoy the flexibility of commercial and industrial work, and I love that commercials have gotten theatrical and clever. It’s the right kind of career for me. Here’s me atop a noble steed for the Arizona Lottery, in which two giant balls find love in a hopeless place. One of my favorite jobs to date.

Among the unique challenges of commercial work, though, is the copy. When was the last time you said either of these in real life? “It’s full of features like the voice-activated sound system, the industry’s first front center airbag and available seating for up to eight.” “Now with real fruit juice, ten percent of your daily calcium and only ten calories in every eight-ounce serving.” So natural. And you’d be amazed how many well-trained actors see a line like that and freeze. They can’t find a way to make it feel less false, to bring something human to it. It isn’t easy, I grant you. So here are three questions to answer every time you get a script, and they’ll find you a comfortable delivery no matter what the copy looks like.

The who

Who am I talking to? Say I’m selling a Toyota minivan. My job is to find the target customer, in ten-year increments. Fifteen to twenty-five? Nope. Twenty-five to thirty-five? Warmer. Thirty-five to forty-five? Probably. Male or female? Female, most likely. Income? Middle. Rural, urban, suburban? Suburban. Now find the person in your own life closest to that description, and talk to her. Make a smart choice, and an emotionally exciting one: if your cousin fits the criteria but you don’t like your cousin, don’t use her. Your “who” has to be someone you can put your actor’s faith in easily, picture in detail, and feel safe with. Someone you enjoy.

The where

Where am I? Why would this matter? The client doesn’t know or care that you’ve picked a place. It’s for you: it grounds you in something real and gives you a specific tone and set of behaviors. A living room, an office, a restaurant. And a word about behavior while we’re here. On camera, your baseline is stillness. You don’t move unless something happens that makes you move. Watch yourself on tape and you’ll see instantly which movements came from a truthful impulse and which were manufactured: the hand flourishes, the head bobbing, the eyebrows. Behavior is whatever happens as a byproduct of truthful living and a real conversation. Nothing else.

The why

We try to avoid the word selling. You’re not selling anything. You’re imparting a feeling. Back to the minivan: what am I giving my thirty-five to forty-five, female, suburban friend? I want her to feel safe. Safe, and more than that: I want her to feel like a good mother. There it is. Now I’m speaking from my emotional instrument, not from my head. The copy never changes, but the thought underneath the words becomes “you are a good mother,” and that’s alive. That’s exciting. That’s human.

Those three questions are a great place to start with any commercial script. If you need scripts to practice on, call us at 480-313-9901. We’re always happy to hand some over or point you in the right direction.

Leeann