I JUZ DON GERRIT!

“What’s with these accents used in ads? Who are the targeted customers?” I saw this comment on my facebook page and I couldn’t help but think “Finally! Finally!”. Consumers have caught onto the new vibe spreading fast across Kenya. We are proud of who we are. We are proud of this great nation. We are proud of our peculiar habits. We even have a unique pride in our flaws, because they belong to us. So how come media and advertising has not caught on?

Just have a listen to the station voices at most radio stations and you will notice one common thread; A foreign voice luring you to listen to what’s coming up next or announcing why the station is so cool. I don’t know how this became the standard voice-over procedure but it is extremely disheartening to note that we have been made to think that a British or American voice is the sound of authority. Are Kenyan voices not good enough?

Seriously I find it extremely patronizing that subconsciously we believe that only foreign voice over artists will entice a largely local audience to tune into a local station. Even worse is when you hear these voices completely mispronouncing local lingo. Tei-tei-meisha na Safaricom, Piga kwa one bab na Airtel, Kamata beiyi pouwa na Orange. I mean, seriously?

For those of you who need some education on how this is done. Here’s a crash course. The Programs Controller decides that the station needs a couple of new Station IDs. The station creative is briefed. The lines are approved. They are then emailed to the station voice. The station voice based in some shire in England receives the e-mail. He drops his cucumber sandwiches, does a couple of reads on his little recorder and sends the voice over to the anxiously waiting natives at Lion Place, Nation Center or Lonrho House. The voices are then processed and placed on air. About a month later someone’s bank account in Loch Ness gets fatter - Utter and complete nonsense.

Let’s ask ourselves this. Is there a shortage of voice artists in Kenya? This is unacceptable and someone needs to put a stop to it. Why can’t we use local voices?  I just don’t get it. Complete third world mentality and unnecessary exportation of currency which could otherwise be used locally to fuel our economy.

But then again, I am not saying that we throw caution to the wind and start using Kenyan voice artists on radio stations just for the sake of it. I would be hard pressed to record a voice that pronounces car as curr, far as furr or fast as furst. All I am saying is that it’s about time that we stopped treating listening audiences like morons who will consume anything that is thrown at them. Judging from the facebook post, the consumer has started kujivunia.

So over to you Kenyan advertising practitioners. Lets put an end to vocal colonialism. Take One.

But hey, that’s just my opinion.