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Dare To Step Away From The Mic - Like These
Three VO Talents - And Watch What Happens!

July 18, 2017

By Lauren Miller

Public Relations Intern

Nothing makes a client happier than an easily directed voice talent, but what happens when a VO talent goes in an entirely different direction?

Bob Hurley, Rowell Gormon and Kelley Buttrick are three VO talents who stepped away from the mic to create award-winning work … not for VO. These talents went on to achieve non-traditional wins over big production, advertising and marketing teams showing that when VOs step out of the booth, they mean business.

Let's take a look at what they accomplished.

BOB HURLEY

Bob Hurley, also known as kitchenBOB, holds the titles of VO talent, actor and now Chief Food Mechanic.

The latter is his newest title and one of his most unique.

A few years ago, Bob's wife passed away and he was faced with having to cook meals for himself - not an impossible feat, but not the easiest either.

He took his wide range of production skills, voice over knowledge and trusted friend Tina Babarovic into the kitchen and hasn't looked back.

Bob and Tina expanded their collaboration, with Bob bringing the voice and Tina the cooking skills. They started a video series to assist other men who may need help in the kitchen.

In 2016, kitchenBOB received a bronze Telly Award for it's quirky yet informing self-produced video titled Korean Delights (see it below.) Telly Awards honor the best in TV and cable, digital and streaming, and non-broadcast productions.

This win helped to further validate Bob's choice of adding "Producer" to his business hat collection.

"It was personal validation that what we were making was worth doing," Bob says.

kitchenBOB's Korean Delights video has also received recognition from the Davey and W3 Awards.


kitchenBOB: www.KitchenBob.com

ROWELL GORMON

Rowell Gormon has walked all paths of the VO industry. He's done traditional voice over work, radio hosting and even worked on the sets of multiple Muppets movies.

Rowell has a wealth of experience in bringing to life exactly what producers envision, but one day years ago he decided to create an innovative project of his own.

"Since my radio days there have been few projects were I had ownership of the creation and had a say in what entered competitions," Rowell explains.

Upon completion of his then new website, Rowell entered his URL as a prospect to win the Carolina Silver Reel Award. Beating out a globally recognized leader in business/education software, Rowell's website won the award for its use of sub-pages of different voice and production styles, making it easier for potential clients to navigate throughout his website.

KELLEY BUTTRICK

Kelley Buttrick is a full-time VO talent and long-time Jeep fan who has blazed her own path to success through non-traditional marketing efforts.

A little more than year ago, Kelley used her love for Jeep as a driving force to formulate a campaign, KB4Jeep, in which she pitched her voice to … yeah, you got it, Jeep.

The campaign consisted of more than 35 videos and highlighted what happens when passions for craft and brand are combined. When the campaign came to a close earlier this year, Kelley submitted KB4Jeep to the Telly Awards hoping her marketing, PR and production efforts would pay off. (See the intro video below.)

Knowing she was up against companies that create campaigns for a living, Kelley hoped to gain exposure to the judges - all professionals in the advertising and production industries - who could hire her.

"I think award submissions are a great way to get exposure even if you know you won't win," Kelley says. "Find out who is judging the awards. Are they people who can hire you? The Telly Awards are judged by past winners from the very industries that book voice over talents."

KB4Jeep won a total of four Telly Awards, three bronze and one silver, the highest honor, which was awarded to the entire KB4Jeep Campaign itself.

Kelley achieved success not only in winning the actual awards, but by putting her voice and passion for her craft in front of potential clients who judged the competition.



BREAKING TRADITION

Non-traditional wins aren't just victories for the individual talent, but for the VO industry as a whole by bringing attention to the field.

For instance, the Telly Awards, along with many other awards, act as a perfect platform for VO talents to submit work showcasing both their voices and other business endeavors.

Sabrina Dridje (pictured), managing director of the Telly Awards, encourages freelance and boutique companies to submit their work.

"The Telly Awards are proud to receive submissions from across the spectrum - not only from advertising, production, broadcast, but also from any education and cultural institutions," she says. "They're for any entity that is using these mediums to communicate a message."
(For more about Telly Awards, visit www.TellyAwards.com)
So there it is. Go for your big idea. You'll receive great exposure - and if you happen to win awards, you'll be in good company.
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ABOUT LAUREN
Lauren Miller is a college senior majoring in public relations at the University of Georgia. She has acquired experience in social media, Google Analytics, marketing and project management through a number of internships. Upon graduation in May of 2018, her goal is to work at a PR firm where she can build intimate relationships between herself and clients.


Email: lauren.miller25@uga.edu


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