The Odyssey and why voice still sells
Opinion
Advertisers have much to learn from the oral tradition that made the Odyssey memorable long before it was adapted to film, writes Behave’s Ella Britton.
Three thousand years after it was first told, the story of the Odyssey is once again captivating audiences on screen with a hit at the box office courtesy of Christopher Nolan’s latest adaptation. But it has kept its enduring appeal long before it reached cinema screens.
The bards of Ancient Greece captivated audiences through oral tradition: rhythm, cadence, repetition and vocal performance to carry on the legend.
Modern advertising faces a remarkably similar challenge: being remembered.
Behavioural science shows that how a message sounds can be just as powerful as what it says. The human brain doesn’t process communication in a purely rational way. We respond to cues that signal trust, familiarity and importance, often before we’ve fully considered the content itself. Advertisers have understood this, whether consciously or not, for decades and the best work always considers how to make the most of sound cues.
Different voices for different voyages
Just as the storytellers of Ancient Greece helped Odysseus navigate his journey, the right voice can help consumers navigate brands, products and decisions.
Many advertisers focus on crafting the perfect message. Yet research consistently shows that vocal delivery shapes how people interpret, remember and respond to advertising. In behavioural terms, voice acts as a cue, influencing attention, credibility and decision-making.
Some of the UK’s most memorable campaigns are inseparable from the voices and characters that brought them to life. For example, Nationwide’s spoken-word adverts transformed financial services advertising by using poetry and performance to create emotional connection. Or take M&S, who have for years used a low pitched female voice for their famous ‘This is not just food’ ads — research shows that female voices are generally more persuasive when the goal is to improve attitudes toward a product or brand.
Consumers are also more likely to engage with messages that feel easy to process. Behavioural scientists call this processing fluency: when information is easier to understand, it often feels more believable. A familiar voice, clear delivery or recognisable accent can therefore make a message feel more credible without changing a single word.
It’s one reason why brands invest heavily in voice casting. Whether it’s a reassuring narrator for a financial services campaign or a recognisable celebrity introducing a retail promotion, the voice becomes part of the message itself. Before consumers evaluate the proposition, they’re already making judgments about who is speaking.
The messenger matters
Distinctiveness matters a whole lot too. One reason the Odyssey survived for millennia is because it is full of memorable characters, each with their own personality and voice. Behavioural research shows that distinctive stimuli are more likely to capture attention and be encoded into memory. The same principle applies to advertising.
Brands that use unexpected vocal styles, unusual characters or distinctive delivery often create stronger memory structures than those relying on generic corporate narration. Think of campaigns such as Churchill’s nodding dog exclaiming his famous “Oh yes”, or Compare the Market’s meerkats and their noteworthy accents.
Consumers may not remember every feature or offer, but they remember the character, the voice and the feeling associated with them. Over time, these auditory cues become mental shortcuts, making the brand easier to recognise and recall when a purchasing decision arises.
Standing out from the Sirens
Sound doesn’t even have to be pleasant to make an impact. When Pot Noodle used slurping as a mechanism in radio and TV advertising, people couldn’t help but wince. But the ad had sensory salience; it was memorable and helped the brand stand out in cluttered audio environments, turning an unpleasant sound cue into a memorable brand asset. Hiscox did a similarly effective audio ad with the wrong language as part of their ‘Most disastrous campaign ever’, completely taking the listeners out of normal proceedings to capture their attention better.
Of course, not every objective requires the same approach.
A brighter, more energetic delivery can be effective when attracting new audiences and driving consideration. By contrast, existing customers often respond better to voices that convey reassurance and consistency. The optimal voice depends on the behavioural outcome you’re trying to achieve.
This reflects a broader lesson from behavioural science: context matters. There is rarely a universal solution that works across every audience, category or stage of the customer journey.
The journey shaped by the voice
The characteristics of a voice can shape trust, attention, memory and persuasion, but there is no one-size-fits-all solution. The most effective approach is to match the sound of the message to the audience, the context and the outcome you’re trying to achieve.
After all, the Odyssey didn’t survive for three millennia because people read a media plan. It survived because it was told brilliantly.
Across studies, the evidence points towards a simple conclusion: voice is not a creative afterthought. It is a behavioural tool. And for brands looking to make a lasting impression, choosing the right voice may matter just as much as finding the right words.
Ella Britton is the strategy director at Behave, part of Serviceplan Group’s House of Communication UK.