I do it strictly for my own amusement. Voices is the world's #1 voice marketplace with over 2 million members. have i jjst avoided menards that hard ? And I dont intend to disappoint them all by getting myself slightly killed.Ernest Lehman (b.1920), The same people who tell us that smoking doesnt cause cancer are now telling us that advertising cigarettes doesnt cause smoking.Ellen Goodman (b. [32], During the COVID-19 pandemic, Michigan's Attorney General Dana Nessel sent Menards a cease and desist letter citing 18 complaints from consumers in regards to price gouging on products such as face masks and bleach. Anyway I had another fella I was in the carpeting department doing a commercial and I said, Good morning. You know, friendly, because thats the name of the game. His career with the Eau Claire, Wis.-based Menards stretched from 1976 to 1998, and he made periodic appearances for the home-improvement chain after that, his website said. From 1959 to 1978, he operated the Trans-American School of Broadcasting in his hometown of Wausau, Wisconsin. Dennis Morgan did it. She is of Dutch and one quarter Norwegian descent. How do I write about my leadership skills? voiced by Robb Pruitt. And they said, Thats our guy. Is that really how you got the job? They would look at their kids, like they were holding them in their arms, and theyd say to them, Say it. Sure enough, theyd say, Save big money at Menards! You know, that kind of thing. We flew together all over the Midwest for commercials, so we got to know each other pretty well. Chain of home improvement stores in the Midwestern United States, This article is about the home improvement retailer. But I did the grand openings for Menards all over the 10-state area, which I suppose has grown now. He was 91. A long, hard road in broadcasting. Perhaps the funniest ad of 2022 was Doritos Super Bowl commercial featuring a bevy of animals who snack on Doritos dropped by a hiker and subsequently break out in song. Ray Szmanda Sr. Presented by Metropolis Resort, Top bars for bloody marys in the Chippewa Valley, recipes, and local favorites. I was pretty shocked, because these guys all looked and sounded great. After a morning of shooting wed break production and hed invite us all out for lunch together, often at a pizza buffet. That would be great. Thats about what it amounted to. How To Position a Pop Filter With Your Microphone. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Copyright 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. All rights reserved. This is when I was young. The Alpha Incident is a 1977 American science-fiction-dramatic-thriller b-movie in which Ray Szmanda starred as The Official. Check out a compilation of Rays scenes. Unrivaled Mac notes apps for fuss-free note-taking, 6 Actionable Tips for Improving Your Websites SEO, Copyright 2023 | WordPress Theme by MH Themes. V1: Do you have any specific memories during that time that stick out? Acronyms like this one really speed up texting and just make it soo convenient. I even came close to convincing myself that it would be a good idea to visit his house last Thanksgiving, as I was visiting my grandparents in Antigo, Wisconsin. TV viewing rose so much that binge-watching show after show became a joke across internet memes and tweets in the 2020s. The Found Footage Festival a local favorite puts together touring comedy shows based on old VHS video footage from just about anywhere, from corporate training videos to infomercials. It is also called as text to voice converter or type and . He owned and operated the Trans-American School of Broadcasting in Wausau, Wis., from 1959 to 1978. And The Menards Guy is no exception. I cant imagine what a cashier thinks. [16] Before his return in 1999, Kim Larsen took over his position in his absence. [17] Bob Holtan, John Menard's friend and radio station owner, wrote the lyrics to the "Save Big Money" jingle in the early 1970s. Each one of his commercials, of which he filmed hundreds, featured his trademark smile, infectious enthusiasm, and passion for telling you about great deals. 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Is that right? Lets consider what makes the time unique and discuss the impact the years have had on TV commercials in the 2020s. audience & publishing schedule , Staff When the US congress launched an investigation into the events that occurred on January 6th, this uncertainty continued. RAY: All the time. Im an advertising man, not a red herring. Ray "Menards Guy" Szmanda passed away at the age of 91, leaving behind the legacy of his smile when pitching Menards on its television commercials. "Big box stores are not immune to the Michigan Consumer Protection Act or the Governor's Executive Order", Nessel said. He truly was a kind and generous man. V1: So when people recognize you, do they ask you to say, Save big money at Menards?, RAY: Always. The dude is sweet. This is when I was young. "Large corporations must also play by the rules, and my office will work diligently to ensure this state's consumers are treated fairly and not abused by businesses seeking to unlawfully jack prices up to line their pockets with profits at the expense of the public during this time of great need." RAY: Yeah, its a fun thing. He has been pretty quiet about his involvement with the company, but it's safe to say that he's done a great job. Best Commercial of the 2020s and Why With so many amazing commercials released in the 2020s, it's hard to choose just one for the best commercial spot. Ive got a job, a secretary, a mother, two ex- wives, and several bartenders dependent on me. Make a voice in Japanese easily for anime text to speech content, or use the TTS japanese voice over to provide sound of text anime voice materials.It is a web based online text to speech (tts) tool which can convert from text to speech in audio formats like text to mp3, text to wav file. But knowing how to position a pop filter with your microphone is vital. This maybe only happened twice, but these are things you remember. Another ad that had TV viewers laughing in their seats was Rocket Mortgages 2020 Super Bowl ad featuring Jason Momoa. Raymond Jack Ray Szmanda, Sr. (June 22, 1926 May 6, 2018) was an American radio and television announcer known throughout the Midwestern United States as the spokesperson for Menards, a position he held for more than two decades. Your email address will not be published. I walked over and put my arms around the fella and I said, Would you like to be on television? And he popped up, Oh my gosh! And away they went. Szmanda passed away at his home in Antigo on Sunday, May 6, according to. Fresh air. He worked for radio and television stations as a staff announcer from 1951 to 1958, when he began to freelance. Menards announced in 2022 that it will expand to Pennsylvania for the first time, starting with Uniontown. V1: Well its a fun time to be working with stocks right now. 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RAY: I never thought of that. And it was fun working outside. ago. This was while Szmanda was still working for the company in full force. READ: Menards Guy Isn't Who--or What--you Think He Is. Rocket Mortgage concludes that we all seek comfort in a home and that their mortgage services can give it to us. In 2000, the company opened its 150th store. So that was interesting, and Ive always remembered that. Im having a ball, Szmanda said on his personal website. You must contact your 84 Lumber store associate for an exact price. Menards is the third-largest home improvement store in the United States, behind Lowe's and The Home Depot. Terry Savage: What will a recession look like? It makes sense for a dapper gent like Hamm to be the voice of a luxury vehicle, and to his credit, he's completely embraced being the spokesman. Fozzie Bear. These years have significantly impacted TV advertising, spawning ads about the pandemic, environmentalism, racial injustice, and the collective uncertainty faced by all. Then it was followed by another location in Gillette and one more in Cheyenne. Watch the commercial, share it with friends, then discover more great Menards App TV Commercials on iSpot.tv Thats when I went on television. It has 351 stores in 15 states: Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, West Virginia, Wisconsin and Wyoming, but there are plans to expand to Pennsylvania. editorial@volumeone.org(Editorial,) 13 followers13. Szmanda was born June 22, 1926, in Milwaukee and served in the Navy in World War II. V1's own Nick Meyer is the guy in the gorilla suit - it was his job to jump into the frame, hop up and down, and pound his chest. Please look at the time stamp on the story to see when it was last updated. Enoch Powell (b. His career with Menards began in 1976, where he was a fixture of the ads until his retirement in 1998. V1: I hear youre still doing some radio stuff, as a Ham Radio operator? Thats a lot to shoot, and we needed to hustle to get it all done. Perhaps the most significant event of the 2020s was the onset and spread of the novel coronavirus COVID-19. That 15 minutes of fame, for me, came to be about an hour. They dont even say that. Needless to say he stuck out like a sore thumb to anyone whod ever watched television across the Midwest over the previous 20 years. By the end of 1959, he found it necessary to hire extra crews, and to purchase more equipment to keep up with demand. That will continue for a few items before Ray shows up a final time with another general phrase about the store (Example: "Stay on track with Savings from Menards!"). Ive been keeping busy with music. Check out one of their favorite clips. demo jason vosburg production voiceovers menards commercials ads advertising commercials voiceover/radio voiceovers commercials productions studio. He is a former INDYCAR racing team owner, and the father of former NASCAR Cup Series driver Paul Menard. V1: What jobs have you held other than Menards? [31], According to Milwaukee Magazine in 2007, Menards was cited with more regulatory violations involving air/water pollution and hazardous waste disposal than any other company in Wisconsin. Who was the announcer for the Menards show? RAY: Yes. He did, however, make occasional ads with the company starting in 1999. Would he have an ego and scoff at the idea of being in our magazine? for pricing and availability. 1941), Remove advertising, disable a person or firm from preconising [proclaiming] its wares and their merits, and the whole of society and of the economy is transformed. At lunch he wouldnt remove his blue shirt, nametag, or his signature black glasses (which didnt even have lenses in them due to the glareon camera). Blazed [7-8] Close. Ray on set at a Menards commercial shoot for Gorilla Rack Shelving, circa 2001. The US Congress issued stimulus payments to Americans to keep the economy robust through the pandemic, contributing in part to an approximate 5.7% growth in the economy in 2021. Szmanda, of Antigo, Wis., died Sunday in home hospice care of congestive heart failure. And a lot of times, if theyre shy, they dont say anything. In addition, these Menards locations carry items such as office supplies, pet supplies, and mattresses.[13]. Wed be tucked away in the paint aisle with lights, cameras, and microphones and as soon as he started in on the script at full volume, the rubbernecking from customers would be hilarious. 100 Dundas Street, Suite 700 London, ON N6A 5B6 Call Us Toll Free at 1-888-359-3472. The John Williams Show
You put your heart and soul into that kind of a thing, and actors do, too. Ray Szmanda, known to generations of Americans as the man who brought Menards commercials to life, has died at age 91. With such uncertainty around the economy and consumer spending habits, advertisers globally spent 4.2% less in 2020 than in 2019. For nearly 25 years a growing radius of TV viewers were introduced to his signature black glasses/blue sweater combo, his giant grin, and his seemingly relentless enthusiasm for home improvement. How an actor stands in front of a microphone and what type of microphone a person uses makes a world of difference in voice acting today. Well look at the pros and cons of each. And I suppose I was kind of an actor with that, because people tell me, Youre so different off camera. Cursed Commercials Wiki is a FANDOM TV Community. With so many amazing commercials released in the 2020s, its hard to choose just one for the best commercial spot. In 2020 alone, among adults in the US who watch TV, viewing time increased by 9.2% to approximately 4.5 hours daily. VanSanten was born in Luverne, Minnesota. Read on V1: So how are you liking retirement so far? Keaton is a former editor and journalist for the Toronto and Ottawa Sun. Keep those kiddos active, educated and entertained with these fun activities. When we started, it was an orange shirt, which I liked. voiced by Steve Whitmire. Here are 10 examples. I was a professional drummer. Street Fighter 6 Voices for Zangief, Lily, and Cammy and Trailer Dragons: The Nine Realms Season 5 Trailer The Super Mario Bros Movie Gets Earlier Release Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse Adds Karan Soni Pokemon Concierge New Series and Teaser J.K. Simmons Joins Baldur's Gate III and Recording Booth BTS Video In 1958, John Menard Jr. began building post-frame buildings to finance his college education. A little frustrating, I imagine. And there were two elderly people in their 60s, maybe that were so interested in the product we were advertising, they didnt see any of it. They say, Say it. And I say Save big money at Menards!. I remodeled a Model A Ford two-door sedan convertible. RAY: Yeah. [12] At such locations, shoppers are able to purchase items such as frozen pizza, milk, eggs, common snacks, and a variety of canned items. [26], In 2023, the Menards and Matt Crafton sponsorship partnership surpassed STP and Richard Petty as NASCAR's longest-tenured driver/sponsorship relationship. share. Ray started the gig way back in 1976, three years before I was even born. His family included four sons and three daughters. Its infrequent, but it happens. JTs Chrysler Jeep Dodge - Deal-Tastic Me (2013, USA), Sonic the Hedgehog Pasta by Franco-American. Powered by the comforting voice of Kermit the Frog, Adidas tells us their iconic yet sustainable products are ideal for those who want to go green. Since 2005, the biggest and most beloved brands have trusted Voices to help them find professionals to bring their projects to life. After working in radio and television, he became self-employed as a broadcaster in 1958. The Video Editor Advertising Technician works within the Menards Broadcast Marketing team to edit video and audio for Menards TV and radio commercials; along with other broadcast projects.. RAY: Oh yeah. It was just unbelievable. I had my own trio. Eau Claire, Wisconsin, U.S. John Robert Menard Jr. (born January 22, 1940) is an American billionaire businessman, and the founder and owner of Menards, a Midwestern chain of home improvement stores. One of the most popular TV ads in 2020 capitalized on the power of togetherness to sell several products simultaneously. His career with Menards began in 1976, where he was a fixture of the ads until his retirement in 1998. Manage all your favorite fandoms in one place! Menards commercials are also accompanied with banjo music played by Gary Shaw of Wisconsin. It starts with the Instrumental version of the Menards Theme as Ray is talking to the camera with a general phrase based on whatever they are selling in the commercial or whatever sale is going on (Example: "Give your Home the Dutch Boy look and Save at Menards!"). He will often shout at the start of commercials to grab the viewers attention and usually sports a creepy grin after talking. It was as much fun as Ive ever had at a job. That's a natural reaction - the owner of Menards is an escaped demon who feeds on souls, and your body is simply responding to coming in contact with such raw evil. Most Commercials follow a set pattern. And its the same today. Act or the Governor 's Executive Order '', Nessel said in 1958 he began to.., which I suppose I was pretty shocked, because these guys all looked and sounded great 700... 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And actors Do, too put my arms around the fella and I say Save big money at!! Are you liking retirement so far Menards began in 1976, three years Before was!