Cross-cultural content analysis of New Zealand and French television advertising has revealed marked differences in the use of voice-overs. New Zealand voice-overs were found to be mostly authoritative and adhered to a strong code of masculinity whereas French voice-overs used a more seductive approach, utilising more feminine voices which acted as a relay of masculine values. Interviews with creative directors suggested that the selection of a voice-over was influenced by strong cultural stereotypes and was mostly the result of a subconscious or mechanical choice. This paper argues that voice-overs are signifiers which are embedded in a cultural and communicative context. It also draws attention to the usually unsuspected presence of highly naturalised ‘vocal formations’ which exist in the advertising discourse of each country, shaping and subjecting us as sociocultural beings.
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