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Julia Roberts & Nationwide Insurance

Discussion in 'Anything goes' started by KJIM, Aug 17, 2012.

  1. KJIM

    KJIM Well-Known Member

    Academy Award winner Julia Roberts is now doing voiceovers for Nationwide Insurance.

    I do not get this.

    I'm aware that lots of celebrities do ads in other countries, etc. But Julia Roberts? Endorsing insurance?

    Is she trying to get back into the game? Did they just throw big bucks at her? Did she think her voice wouldn't be recognize? Did she hope it would? Does Nationwide Insurance really think people will buy their insurance if she hawks their product? Did she lose a bet? Crash her car?


    And I don't 't buy something like "oh, she missed the/just wanted to work" or something -- how long can it take to record a few spots?

    I've heard spots from lots of familiar voices: Donald Sutherland, Kiefer Sutherland, Tom Selleck ... but an Oscar winner?

    I can accept Lisa Kudrow and the Yoplait - at least that's a throwaway product. But insurance? Really?

    There is no explanation as to why this surprised me, but for some reason it did.
     
  2. Starman

    Starman Well-Known Member

  3. novelist_wannabe

    novelist_wannabe Well-Known Member

    I think I get why Nationwide would go this direction. More and more women are assuming decision-making roles, both in households and businesses, and I suppose JR appeals to them.

    For her, I guess it's really easy money. Not like she needs it. Or she's heard Clooney talk about his ads in Europe and she thinks, "Anything he can do I can do better."
     
  4. PCLoadLetter

    PCLoadLetter Well-Known Member

    Not unusual in the slightest. George Clooney, Gene Hackman, Jeff Bridges, Robert DeNiro, Kevin Spacey, Morgan Freeman, Gary Sinise... there are a hell of a lot of top actors who do commercial voiceovers.

    It's not the first one she's done, either.
     
  5. PCLoadLetter

    PCLoadLetter Well-Known Member

    It's not just Europe. Clooney voices Budweiser ads.
     
  6. Rhody31

    Rhody31 Well-Known Member

    Jon Hamm does voiceovers for what seems like every commercial.
     
  7. Azrael

    Azrael Well-Known Member

    The old rules no longer apply.

    The second most recognizable commercial voice for the Olympics was Matt Damon. And what about Jackson and Scorsese and Malkovich, et al., and the iPhone?
     
  8. Elliotte Friedman

    Elliotte Friedman Moderator Staff Member

    There was an article about Clooney in Esquire where he talked about how the money he gets from two commercials a year in Southeast Asia funds all of his charity work. Don't know if that's the same principle here, but it explains his philosophy.
     
  9. SockPuppet

    SockPuppet Active Member

    That homeless DJ who got the voice over job for mac and cheese is PISSED at this development.
     
  10. Brian

    Brian Well-Known Member

    See? Norm MacDonald really isn't a C-lister! [cross-thread]
     
  11. YankeeFan

    YankeeFan Well-Known Member

    Plus, a voice over is not the same as a personal endorsement.

    While you might recognize the voice, they don't identify themselves.
     
  12. Small Town Guy

    Small Town Guy Well-Known Member

    I think Hackman is one of the most recognizable. United Airlines, Lowes.
     
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