Clorox "Timeline" :30 TV

Pretty anthemic for a spot about something as mundane as washing your socks. Check out the "real" version on YouTube (click the title of this blog post to see it). You'll see the time-lapse footage of folks doing laundry since 1913. It's hypnotic. And it's one of those spots where we don't hear the product name until the very end. Because the "lightbulb" doesn't come on until the very last words of the commercial, the entire spot should sound like thought. Even the last line should sound like a nice, slow, deliberate realization.

VO: Laundry is not new. Your mother, your grandmother, her mother, They all did the laundry. Maybe even a man or two. And although a lot has changed... The machines, the detergents, the clothes themselves, The bleach most trusted to keep whites pure white is still Clorox bleach.

Lunesta :60 TV

I typically don't use pharmaceutical spots in class, because about half of the copy is describing the side effects. I chose this because it's a good fit for Susan's voice, and I want to make sure she gets lots of time on mic this week after missing last week! We omitted the 30 seconds of side effects from the middle of the spot, and just left the "good part."

VO: If your racing thoughts keep you awake, Sleep is here, on the wings of Lunesta. And if you wake up often in the middle of the night, Rest is here, on the wings of Lunesta. Lunesta helps you fall asleep and stay asleep. So you can wake up feeling rested. (The "legal" (side effects) copy is omitted here) Ask your doctor if Lunesta is right for you. Get Lunesta for a zero-dollar co-pay, at Lunesta.com. Sleep well, on the wings of Lunesta.

Valspar Paint :30 TV

"Her voice makes PAINT sound SEXY!" - Mike J, describing Susan G...

VO: There are theories that color holds power over us. Well, those theories . . . are now fact. Connect to the truest, richest paint we’ve ever created. Color at its most electric. Valspar Hi-Def Advanced Color System. Connect to the power in color. Valspar. (The time to paint with Valspar is now.)

Big G Kids Cereals "Grow Up Strong" :30 TV

• This is a spot where the imagery is more interesting than the copy. As a VO, your job is to give energy to boring copy. • The PLATITUDE OPENING that nobody can disagree with... "To do well, kids need to eat well." No need to convince the audience of this...it's an obvious yes. • The Long Awkward Unrealistic Line with lots of information crammed into it ("Did you know it's the only leading line of kids' cereals . . . " To make it less awkward, make it more spontaneous, like thought. • In this read, you're addressing someone one-on-one at arm's length, putting the performance out in front of you, BEYOND THE MIC. Your read can sound spontaneous and "like thought" and conspiratorial across-the-fence-to-your-neighbor....without being INSIDE YOUR HEAD on something as fun/light/casual as a kids' cereal spot. • "Did you know" means you're talking to ONE PERSON. Listen to Mike's pickups at 14:56 and 15:16. Just a little turn of the dial to make it less announcerish and more matter-of-fact makes it a better and more believable read.

VO: To do well, kids need to eat well. And eating well means getting enough whole grain and calcium. And General Mills Big G kids cereals can help. Did you know it's the only leading line of kids cereals with at least 8 grams of whole grain and a good source of calcium? Cereals they already love, like Lucky Charms and Cinnamon Toast Crunch. Give your kids more of what they need to be their best. Grow up strong with Big G kids cereals.

Subway "That's A Lot" :30 TV

• When giving a list of related ideas that build on each other, you can give each idea its own space. When that Lexus car commercial says "Escape convention, escape definition, escape compromise," those ideas build upon each other, but they all deserve to be treated as their own separate thing. We don't want to hear that you're rattling off a list . . . we'd rather hear each idea as it comes to you. We don't know what's coming next! Same goes for something as ridiculous as kiddie pools full of grease, water coolers full of grease, and bird baths full of grease. You can consider each one separately as the image comes to mind. (Eww, gross.)

VO: In one year, U.S. restaurants can produce up to 1.4 million pounds of grease. Enough to fill 3300 kiddie pools, over 33,000 water coolers, or 111,000 bird baths. [Over a burger on-screen] Of course, a lot of it ends up right here. Skip the grease. Go for the breakthrough taste of the new Subway Oven Crisp Chicken. Always baked, never fried. Merely 7 grams of fat, and the newest part of a Subway Fresh Fit Meal. Subway. Eat Fresh.

Head and Shoulders Hair Endurance :30 TV

Another great example of a COMMENT ON THE ACTION spot.

VO: Hairstyles come, And hairstyles go. But to get the most our of every style, you've gotta have hair. Hair that's full and thick. Excess buildup on your scalp can leave your hair looking thin. New Head and Shoulders Hair Endurance for men has a hydrating formula designed to remove buildup and help restore your scalp to health, Leaving you 100% flake-free hair that's fuller and thicker-looking, guaranteed. New Head and Shoulders Hair Endurance Respect the scalp. Get the hair.

Dove Deep Moisture :30 TV

If you're listening to the podcast, try and stick with me on this one! It is a serious triathlon, with all three of the ladies working out their skills on some VERY FORMULAIC copy...starting with opening with a QUESTION ("Ever wear your clothes in the shower?") eliciting the unspoken NO, all the way down through repetitive words (even the product name has the word "Moisture" in it TWICE.)

VO: Ever worn your clothes in the shower? If you’re using other moisturizing body washes, you might as well be. You see, their moisturizer sits on top of skin, almost as if you were wearing it. Only new Dove Deep Moisture has Nutrium Moisture, a breakthrough formula with natural moisturizers that can nourish deep down. It’s the most effective natural nourishment ever. New Dove Deep Moisture, with Nutrium Moisture. Superior natural nourishment for your skin.

Splenda :30 TV

• This "SUGAR SITUATION" spot is a perfect example of the Problem-Solution-Satisfaction formula. Instead of emphasizing the repeated word "sugar," emphasize the words that FLANK the repeated word. Using the comedic rule of 3 to BUILD that opening beat in its 3 pieces WITHOUT pausing after "that means..."

• "But it's not sugar" is a SECRET that you are letting us in on. And it's a GOOD THING, too.

• Use INTERNAL THOUGHT, thinking out loud . . . let us HEAR you come up with a clever way to say something. A line like "It's a win-win and a yum-yum" only works if it's delivered in a way that sounds like YOU THOUGHT IT, not you read it off a flat page.

• Instead of emphasizing the word AND, which is SELLY . . . find the important words, and emphasize those instead, and the big selly AND will go away on its own.

VO:

Ah, breakfast. That means sugar in the coffee, in the cereal, and the grapefruit. The day has just begun, and already you have . . . a Sugar Situation. The sweeter solution: Splenda No-Calorie Sweetener. Made from sugar, tastes like sugar, but it’s not sugar. And with no calories, it’s a win-win, and a yum-yum. What a way to start the day. Splenda. Imagine life sweeter.

Garnier Fructis :30 TV

VO: Is your shampoo sucking the life out of your color?

Try new Colorshield from Garnier Fructis.

Powered by grapeseed and acai berry,

it works two ways: preventing dryness, protecting color.

It's proven.

Colorshield fights fade-out, stops dry-out,

so you can love your color even longer.

Keep your color bold and brilliant, your hair silky and soft,

even after 45 washes.

New Colorshield from Garnier Fructis.

It's proven to perform.

Garnier. Take care.

Florida Orange Juice :30 TV

(NOTE...for only the first 20 seconds or so of Susan's first read, there is a digital clocking error, which makes it sound funny... my fault. You can skip ahead or just ignore it)

VO: Food scientists have spent years with their beakers and flasks and chemistry sets

trying to come up with something as good for you as Florida orange juice.

But they've never come close.

Start your day with almost 25% of your daily recommended fruit and vegetable servings,

in one eight-ounce glass.

It's a miracle in every way.

Florida Orange Juice.

Healthy, pure and simple.