Studies tell us that we prefer low voices because we assume there is a lot more to that voice than the words being said. That is just one of the reasons male voices are so popular in advertising.

Male voices can also be funny, characterful, warm, dramatic and dry. Because of this, a multitude of adverts can benefit from the vibrant addition of a male voiceover, for a more effective brand experience for the viewer.

Over the years, many men have lent their voices to the adverts we know and love on TV. Let’s take a look at just a few of the most iconic voices in advertising from the 21st century:

Simon Greenall

Known as Alan Partridge’s Geordie friend Michael, Simon Greenall is also the voice of cute CGI character Aleksandr the Meerkat, in an incredibly successful marketing campaign for Compare The Market.

Benedict Cumberbatch

Benedict Cumberbatch is a highly successful actor who has appeared in Sherlock Holmes (the BBC series), The Imitation Game and mind bending superhero movie Dr Strange, amongst others. When it comes to his voice in advertising, he has voiced adverts for Pedigree dog food, as well as high class car company Jaguar.

Wynne Evans

Wynne Evans has to appear on our list because even though he hasn’t done a voiceover for Go Compare, he does have an iconic advertising voice. The main reason for that is his singing on the adverts, with a rather impressive opera voice. More recently he has been seen stripped down, open and endearing as Wynne, rather than the larger than life moustached character in the adverts, further securing his place in the hearts of viewers across the country.

Joe Pasquale

Joe Pasquale has a highly distinctive voice that is somewhat squeaky, cute and personable. His most well known voiceover work is on the National Accident Helpline where he voiced the character of ‘Underdog’, an adorable pooch who was determined to get compensation for injuries that were not his fault. You can see one of those iconic adverts here.

Noel Fielding

Noel Fielding is eccentric, cool and funny, which is why it makes sense any company looking to stand out would use his voice. Vodafone did just that and it worked well for them.

Thierry Henry

Thierry Henry has a smooth, French accent that has benefited Nike and Pepsi in the past. ‘ A Va Vroom’ though, is his most famous voiceover project for Renault, causing women across the country to swoon and very much feel their hearts flutter at his voice.

Liam Neeson

Liam Neeson has a distinctive Irish accent which lends itself well to voiceover work. As he is such a proud Irishman, it is no surprise that his voiceover work has mainly revolved around campaigns for Tourism Ireland.

Bill Nighy

Bill Nighy is a much loved British actor with a distinctive voice. He has appeared in many films, including romantic classic - Love Actually.

When it comes to advertising, he has done a lot of work across various brand campaigns, most notably: Costa Coffee, Argos and Toyota.

Julian Clary

Julian Clary has an incredibly iconic voice that is fun and easily recognisable and ideal for English accent voice overs. He has provided voice overs for WHSmith, Argos and other brands, adding some light humour and playfulness that’s gone down really well with viewers.

Rob Brydon

Comedian and actor Rob Brydon has done a lot of voiceover work with brands like Tango, Sainsbury’s and Tesco. He has a likeable, down to earth voice that suits a lot of advertising applications so we’re likely to hear more of him on adverts moving forward.

Shane Richie

Shane Richie has a fantastic cockney accent that works really well for British brands looking to connect with their British audience. He has worked on adverts for Bounty, Jaffa Cakes and more, showing that regionality really can be impactful when it comes to choosing accents for advertising.

Graham Norton

Graham Norton is best known for The Graham Norton show, and his work in radio. However, he has also proven to be a real asset in voiceover advertising, lending his voice to brands like; starburst, The National lottery and Tesco. He was even once the voice of a unicorn in one National Lottery advert!

Some of the best male voiceover talent has influenced us all when it comes to marketing and advertising in the 21st century. Why not listen carefully during the next ad break you see on TV? You might notice even more male vocal talent after reading this, further appreciating the difference a great voiceover can make to a successful advert.