Do you remember those iconic Fosters commercials from the early 2000s featuring agony aunts Brad and Dan? I was there at the very beginning of that journey, and it’s a story worth sharing.
One day, my agent called with a last-minute gig: a voiceover session for an ad pitch. The details were fuzzy, and they didn’t get much clearer when I arrived at the studio. The advertising agency was in the midst of brainstorming for Fosters, and the concept was still evolving. As ideas came to them, I would step into the booth, record my lines, and then they’d take the audio away for further tweaking. This creative back-and-forth went on late into the night and continued for several hours the next day. In total, I spent about 8 hours in the studio.
The original pitch revolved around the idea of retreating into your mind and tuning into ‘Amber Wisdom’—an omnipresent voice offering sage advice. Fast forward a few months, and I found myself in a flat in Edinburgh, performing at the Fringe Festival. Suddenly, I heard familiar dialogue coming from the TV. The concept had morphed into the iconic “Good Call” commercials, which became hugely popular and ran for the next five years. The ads were so memorable that I even included them in my demo reel to showcase my range of Australian characters.
But that wasn’t the end of my journey with Fosters. Years later, they embarked on a new campaign to find contestants for a reality show. The premise? Four people would travel from the UK to Australia in a small, golden campervan, even floating the van across the Channel with balloons! To recruit contestants, they set up ringing phone boxes in London, Manchester, and Brighton. Anyone who answered would hear my voice (hidden in the campervan) issuing challenges to qualify for the journey.
This wild idea turned into the “Helluva Tour,” a show on Channel 4. You can watch it here.
After spending a day crammed in a van, how did I unwind? Naturally, with a nice pint of Fosters.
Being part of these creative and quirky campaigns has been an unforgettable experience, blending my love for voiceover work with some truly unique adventures. Cheers to that!
