# Question about commercials **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [January 22, 2010, 1:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-commercials/525939 "2010-01-22T01:37:31Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![PlainJain](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/5daacb/32.png) [@PlainJain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PlainJain)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2010, 1:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-commercials/525939/1 "2010-01-22T01:37:31Z")
What is the thinking behind using a famous actor to do the voice-over for your product without using their likeness or otherwise identifing who they are. Is it cheaper and they are banking on your recognizing the actor or is it some kind of snooty advertising thing? Jeff Bridges: [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/DaTDVU19oOU/hqdefault.jpg "Hyundai Commitment TV Commercial") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DaTDVU19oOU) ---
**Author:** ![choie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/choie/32/7829_2.png) [@choie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/choie)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2010, 2:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-commercials/525939/2 "2010-01-22T02:46:41Z")
Maybe the idea is to impart some subliminal sense of trust? You may not identify Jeff Bridges’ voice as belonging to Jeff Bridges, but you might recognize it on some level. Recognition = credibility / comfort. Also, he just has a nice, personable, character-filled voice. Why not utilize it? ---
**Author:** ![dropzone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dropzone/32/7515_2.png) [@dropzone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dropzone)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2010, 2:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-commercials/525939/3 "2010-01-22T02:47:43Z")
I think a lot of it is that they provide soothingly-familiar-yet-hard-to-place voices and have the requisite “great pipes” while sounding much more “natural” than professional announcers. I heard the head of Hyundai USA touting how proud he was to have Bridges was as a spokesman, but these people don’t have iconic voices, like Cary Grant or John Wayne, and most people wouldn’t make the connection without prompting. Also, when you hire a pro he walks in, does a couple takes of varying perfection, and leaves. There’s a lot to be said for that at budget time. ---
**Author:** ![In\_Winnipeg](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/a8b319/32.png) [@In\_Winnipeg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/In_Winnipeg)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2010, 7:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-commercials/525939/4 "2010-01-22T19:09:55Z")
Who the heck is doing those new Ford truck commercials? Kinda sounds like Denis Leary… ---
**Author:** ![joyfool](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/df788c/32.png) [@joyfool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/joyfool)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2010, 7:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-commercials/525939/5 "2010-01-22T19:45:24Z")
> [@In\_Winnipeg](#): > > Who the heck is doing those new Ford truck commercials? Kinda sounds like Denis Leary… That’s exactly what I wondered! ---
**Author:** ![thebenn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/dfb087/32.png) [@thebenn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thebenn)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2010, 7:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-commercials/525939/6 "2010-01-22T19:58:07Z")
> [@In\_Winnipeg](#): > > Who the heck is doing those new Ford truck commercials? Kinda sounds like Denis Leary… It’s Mike Rowe from _Dirty Jobs_. ---
**Author:** ![Brown\_Eyed\_Girl](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/brown_eyed_girl/32/3574_2.png) [@Brown\_Eyed\_Girl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Brown_Eyed_Girl)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2010, 8:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-commercials/525939/7 "2010-01-22T20:09:41Z")
> [@PlainJain](#): > > Jeff Bridges: > [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DaTDVU19oOU](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DaTDVU19oOU) Admirable premise, odd example. Who picks the nose they’re born with? And why is there integrity in keeping a really awful body part? Did you \*see \*that guy’s nose?! Also, I’m relatively certain that they don’t actually transplant new noses; they pretty much just fix what’s there, which is exactly what The Dude is complaining that people don’t do. 😕 ---
**Author:** ![Rattlehead02](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rattlehead02/32/3944_2.png) [@Rattlehead02](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rattlehead02)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2010, 8:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-commercials/525939/8 "2010-01-22T20:42:32Z")
> [@thebenn](#): > > It’s Mike Rowe from _Dirty Jobs_. Mike Rowe and Dennis Leary both do Ford Commercials, though from what I remember you always see Mike Rowe, he’s more than just a voice over. Dennis Leary, on the other hand, only does the F-150 commercials, and just a voice over. [Denis Leary - Wikipedia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Denis_Leary#TV_commercials) ---
**Author:** ![In\_Winnipeg](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/a8b319/32.png) [@In\_Winnipeg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/In_Winnipeg)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2010, 9:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-commercials/525939/9 "2010-01-22T21:17:44Z")
> [@Brown\_Eyed\_Girl](#): > > Who picks the nose they’re born with? Which other one are you going to pick? ---
**Author:** ![Brown\_Eyed\_Girl](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/brown_eyed_girl/32/3574_2.png) [@Brown\_Eyed\_Girl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Brown_Eyed_Girl)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2010, 9:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-commercials/525939/10 "2010-01-22T21:19:20Z")
> [@In\_Winnipeg](#): > > Which other one are you going to pick? 😃 I guess I should have picked the word “chooses.” :smack: