And I got negative things, too. Terry Savage: What will a recession look like? With an uncertain economic future in 2022, advertisers are being cautious. Right when I got out of the Navy at 21. demo jason vosburg production voiceovers menards commercials ads advertising commercials voiceover/radio voiceovers commercials productions studio. To honor the Fiesta of San Jacinto Holiday on Friday, several offices in the City of San Antonio will be closed. So lumber was interesting. He has been pretty quiet about his involvement with the company, but it's safe to say that he's done a great job. The ad features Salt-N-Peppa's "Push It" performed by rapper Megan Thee Stallion. share. From 1959 to 1978, he operated the Trans-American School of Broadcasting in his hometown of Wausau, Wisconsin. Blazed [7-8] Close. 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. The John Williams Show He was 91. Posted at 2:18 PM, May 07, 2018. and last updated 2:05 PM, May 07, 2018. Menard eventually owned cars, primarily focusing on the Indianapolis 500 often using stock block Buick V6 engines. To celebrate this Midwestern cultural icon, weve gathered up some photos, videos, and tidbits here to share (see below), including a great interview Volume One had with him roughly nine years ago. For radio commercials, which are a purely auditory experience, casting the right voice actor who resonates with your audience is crucial. Ray started the gig way back in 1976, three years before I was even born. I love what I do, and I think as long as I feel that way, that message gets across on television.. Two more locations are coming to Kentucky: Bowling Green and Richmond. RAY: All the time. This isnt right.. $2999/year Find Work Why Voices Find Work Why Choose Voices? Over 5000 jobs posted monthly. Ray Szmanda, known to generations of Americans as the man who brought Menards commercials to life, has died at age 91. Four more locations opened in Kentucky, one in Louisville, another in Paducah, another in Elizabethtown and the last one in Florence. every time i hear it as im smoking it scares me and i basically just go through a factory reset. Blazed [7-8] every time i hear it as im smoking it scares me and i basically just go through a factory reset. In his hometown of Antigo, Wis.--population 8,500--postal workers and others call his wife "Mrs. Ill never forget it. Chippewa Valley Watch, interact and learn more about the songs, characters, and celebrities that appear in your favorite Menards App TV Commercials. And a lot of times, if theyre shy, they dont say anything. Lets consider what makes the time unique and discuss the impact the years have had on TV commercials in the 2020s. The Menards Guy, Menards Guy Isn't Who--or What--you Think He Is, Village.com - Engaging extracurricular activities for children. It was as much fun as Ive ever had at a job. V1: And theyre still using your cartoon image. He also narrated a recording of the Bible. [33][34], During the pandemic, Menards instituted a policy that prohibited children under age 16 and non-service animals in stores, to the frustration of single parents who do not have other childcare options. A good-quality microphone is a primary tool for any voice actor. You have a chance to act and play different parts, even with commercials. The woman cannot get enough of her Echo by way of Jordan, much to her partners chagrin. They were free. 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!"). [26], In 2023, the Menards and Matt Crafton sponsorship partnership surpassed STP and Richard Petty as NASCAR's longest-tenured driver/sponsorship relationship. The commercials end with the well-known jingle, "Save big money at Menards." RAY: Yeah. This video cannot be played because of a technical error. 100 Dundas Street, Suite 700 London, ON N6A 5B6 Call Us Toll Free at 1-888-359-3472. In this blog, well answer the question: Should You Use a Talent Agency for Voice Over? Ray Szmanda Sr., the voice of Menards store commercials for years, has died. Manage all your favorite fandoms in one place! While playing the Menards guy, his commercials ran up to 60,000 times per week in a total of nine states served by 150 Menards stores. [16] Before his return in 1999, Kim Larsen took over his position in his absence. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Copyright 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. All rights reserved. Advertisers took to TV to tell consumers that we are all in this together and that their products would help us make it through the pandemic. Dennis Morgan did it. From a global pandemic to new world leaders and the war in Ukraine, the 2020s have impacted people in many unexpected ways. voiced by Steve Whitmire. Ray Szmanda, known to generations of Americans as the man who brought Menards commercials to life, has died at age 91 . [29], In 2022, Menards ranked second in a J.D. Even in his later years (he was in his mid-70s by the time I worked with him) he had a booming voice that would echo throughout the aisles of the westside Eau Claire Menards, commanding attention from unsuspecting shoppers. It is a powerful celebration of Black culture, from styling to athletics to music. Receive an invoice for every purchase. Keaton graduated from Humber College's Journalism program, specializing in Television and Online Media. Blue. The truss plant evolved into the Menard Building Division, which produced steel siding and roofing, interior and exterior doors, decking and treated lumber, and other materials. Today the news is spreadingthat Ray Szmanda, the Midwest-famous Menards Guy, a multi-decade TV commercial pitchman for everything from paint to faucets to lumber, passed away May 6 at the age of 91. Menards has supported several racing drivers, including Paul Menard (John Menard's son) who won his only NASCAR Cup race in the 2011 Brickyard 400 in a Menards sponsored Richard Childress Chevrolet. RAY: Im not very active. editorial@volumeone.org(Editorial,) 18. By the end of 1959, he found it necessary to hire extra crews, and to purchase more equipment to keep up with demand. RAY: Yes. 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They dont even say that. A long time ago they decided they wanted to do that, and its great. The economy of the 2020s has been one of significant flux due largely to the uncertainty of the global COVID-19 pandemic. The lights, the camera, director, anybody. "[citation needed], John Menard got involved in Indycar racing in the early 1980s working with his neighbor, driver Herm Johnson. Whats your name? Then we get into pictures and that kind of thing. They covered a lot of fascinating ground, including his other gigs, how he got the Menards job, and funny things that happened while filming commercials. For other uses, see, An example of the older exterior of the Menards store in, "Bloomberg Billionaires Index - John Menard Jr", "Meet The Best Hardware Store In the Nation, And The Midwestern Billionaire Who Built It: John Menard Jr", "Menards is building centers in Iowa, Ohio instead of Eau Claire", "Home improvement store Menards opens Morgantown (West Virginia) location; 207,000 square feet", "Menards Bridgeport, West Virginia build shows signs of life", "Menards shows signs of life in Parkersburg", "Major investment planned in Ravenna in 2022", "Ravenna planners OK Menards' $52 million project", "More details emerge about Menards coming to Fayette County", "The Marketing 100: Menards: John Menard", "Seasoned Menards guy is hard to wear out", "The "Save Big Money at Menards" Jingle: A History", "Menards to Continue Partnership with RCR XFINITY Programs - Richard Childress Racing", "Crafton, Menards extend ThorSport partnership", "Menards doubles sponsorship deal with Penske, Pagenaud for 2017", "Menards to continue IndyCar sponsorship with Team Penske", "XFINITY Series race results for Menards 250 at Michigan", "ARCA and Menards Announce Partenership Expansion", "NASCAR's Matt Crafton Enters May 15 Menards 200 - ARCA Racing", https://speedwaydigest.com/index.php/news/nascar-truck-series-news/75161-matt-crafton-and-menards-mark-a-historic-20-year-partnership, "Home Improvement Retailers Fight Inflation with Stand-Out Customer Service, J.D. What do you put on a resume for server experience? He is one of the more famous infomercial pitchmen. But by the time I was about 20 and starting a stint at the Menards general office making TV commercials, Ray was still there plugging away at those cue cards, letting a huge chunk of America know exactly what was on sale that week with a pocketful of puns at the ready. Ray "The Menards Guy" Szmanda - Bloopers Volume One 4.08K subscribers 30K views 4 years ago A few bloopers with Ray "The Menards Guy" Szmanda as he shot commercials in Eau Claire, Wis. Part. APPAREL BOOKS ART Between the 1970's and 1980's Menards began opening locations in Iowa, Minnesota, North Dakota and South Dakota. V1: Well I dont have any other questions written down, but if youve got any other interesting tidbits wed love to hear them. Plain and simple. What happened was, when I left the house, I was in a suit. I had guests even telling me it was annoying. It occurred to me he might have been Larry Menard. Tony Stewart got his first Indy 500 starts for Menard, and in 1992 Al Unser Sr. scored the highest Indy 500 finish for the team (3rd) and the highest ever 500 finish for the Buick/Menard V6 engine. This characteristic included celebrating healthcare workers, grocery store employees, and delivery drivers who kept the essential products we needed coming to our doors. Eighth Supplemental to Order 2020-04 . Well before Menards came, I had to stop in Fleet Farm for things, and of course they all knew who I was. It is also called as text to voice converter or type and . Ray Szmanda: Yes. One of the most popular TV ads in 2020 capitalized on the power of togetherness to sell several products simultaneously. Then they went to a blue polo shirt. During the Christmas and holiday season, radio and television ads typically feature an alternate jingle "Warm season's greetings to you all from Menards!" On May 12, 1997, the Chicago Tribune ran a great article on The Menards Guy. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Menards TV Commercials We don't make the ads - We measure them Sign up to track nationally aired TV ad campaigns for Menards. Thats about what it amounted to. Invoice billed purchases are due within 50 days after the date of purchase. He did, however, make occasional ads with the company starting in 1999. Create a SoundCloud account. You listen to me. Whats Biden waiting for when it comes to 2024? That would be great. Many important world events clearly delineate the 2020s so far from any other decade or period. 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. RAY: We played 40s music, what we called swing. RAY: No. Bo Landry is the current voice. I mail them to them. web@volumeone.org(Website,) At that time, my wife and I had seven children. A slew of heroes representing different brands come to save the day, including Old Spice, Bounty, Mr. Clean, Febreeze, Olay, Charmin, and Head & Shoulders. You must contact your 84 Lumber store associate for an exact price. Spanish commercials are accompanied with a mariachi mix of the banjo accompaniment. Milwaukee, Wisconsin, U.S. Antigo, Wisconsin, U.S. 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. 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. [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. These years have significantly impacted TV advertising, spawning ads about the pandemic, environmentalism, racial injustice, and the collective uncertainty faced by all. It then continues to stock footage of the tools being sold while Ray gives a basic description of the tool and lists the price. Finally, the last few seconds of the Menards Theme plays with the lyrics "Save Big Money at Menards" while either Locations or Products shown below the Menards logo. Green. Hi guys!Thank you for checking out my short!So this is a commercial Voice-over done for Wesleyan University.Please check out my channel for more of my voice-. Dimensional lumber is ideal for a wide range of structural and nonstructural applications including framing of houses, barns, sheds and commercial construction. Pepe the King Prawn. And I looked their way and said, Come on over, guys. And they said, Dont call me a guy, and walked right on by. localstore@volumeone.org(Store,), TermsofUse / PrivacyPolicy 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. In the mid-1980s, the "Cashway Lumber" name was dropped and the business became simply known to this day as Menards. RAY: Well I spend a lot of time with stocks. I had my own trio. Keaton is a former editor and journalist for the Toronto and Ottawa Sun. Besides the pandemic, anti-racist protests erupting in response to the killing of George Floyd also came to characterize the 2020s. Menards is owned by founder John Menard Jr. through his privately held company, Menard, Inc. In the late 1990s, a young, hands-on woman temporarily took the role in Szmanda's absence. When the US congress launched an investigation into the events that occurred on January 6th, this uncertainty continued. The commercial is beautifully shot, featuring several Black performers across many environments. the voice of the Menards commercials gives me anxiety. Ray on set at a Menards commercial shoot for Gorilla Rack Shelving, circa 2001. Menards is a family-owned home improvement retail chain with more than 300 locations, primarily in the Midwest. Should You Use a Talent Agency for Voice Over. And of course it was in the store where hed turn heads. Presented by Silver Spring. Make sure to keep it with you should you need planned or unplanned medical care. JTs Chrysler Jeep Dodge - Deal-Tastic Me (2013, USA), Sonic the Hedgehog Pasta by Franco-American. The voice actor, acclaimed rapper Tobe Nwigwe, tells viewers that while they may love Black style, fashion, and expression, they do not love Black people. RAY: Yes. It takes a long time to get a gig like Menards. Critics have pointed out the lack of any product in pandemic ads from manufacturers like Coke, Cadbury, Post, and Dunkin Donuts. Vince Offer is and actor, producer and infomercial star. Who is the voice in the BMW commercial? An interview with Ray Szmanda (a.k.a. You Love Me advertises Beats by Dre by honoring Black culture and highlighting the oppression Black people face. RAY: Yeah, its a fun thing. They were having a party at their dorm, and they said, Is this Mr. Menard? And I said, Well, yeah, this is Ray Szmanda. And they said, Will you say it for us?. 3 comments. Who was the announcer for the Menards show? Posted by 2 days ago. Voices is the world's #1 voice marketplace with over 2 million members. RAY: Yeah, Im not like that. | In it, actress Sofia Vergara attends a party where someone spills chili. [9] The distribution center in Ravenna will supplement the chain's expansion into Northeast Ohio and Western Pennsylvania. Voices Enterprise For teams that need enhanced security features and flexible payment options. Village.com - Engaging extracurricular activities for children, Guide to planning a party for kids, adults, or a corporate events! I got a lot of that. Thousands of activists took to the streets to call for an end to racism and police brutality. Its hard to do. Would he be bothered at the idea of revisiting the persona (he is retired, after all)? "Big box stores are not immune to the Michigan Consumer Protection Act or the Governor's Executive Order", Nessel said. For about a year, every Friday I got to work alongside Ray as we shot the opener, closer, and narration of anywhere from eight to 10 commercials. 2002-2023CopyrightVolumeOneMagazine. Recent commercials, however, feature Bo Landry in his place; although, a cartoon version of "the Menards Guy" still appears in Menards' print ads and in some in-store signs. Ray Szmanda was a man who I was proud to call my dad, his son Charles Szmanda wrote in a Facebook post. Yellow. They walked right on the set (laughing) looking for the price of the chair or whatever it was. Weekdays 10 a.m. - noon, 1 - 2 p.m. V1s 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. Dale Earnhardt Jr. & Brandon Jones Menards Commercial NascarAllOut 61.2K subscribers Subscribe 0 Share No views 59 seconds ago SUBSCRIBE for more NascarAllOut:. [30], In 2022, Menards ranked 28th on Forbes' list of "America's Largest Private Companies" with an estimated revenue of US$ 13 billion. PANTRY TOYS DCOR, Best of the A fella by the name of Bob Prock ran that production section for a long time, and did a great job. When do I receive my Menards commercial invoice? voiced by Robb Pruitt. His career with Menards began in 1976, where he was a fixture of the ads until his retirement in 1998. Elected in 2016, Donald Trump was US President at the start of the 2020s. It was just unbelievable. Several TV commercials in the 2020s stand out for their popularity and prolificacy. We flew together all over the Midwest for commercials, so we got to know each other pretty well. RAY: You buy low and sell high, so nows the time to buy. The 2020s would change the world significantly, and there would be no going back to the time before these pivotal years. Their way and said, would you like to be on Television auditory! And South Dakota began in 1976, where he was a fixture who voices menards commercials the famous. Capitalized on the Menards commercials gives me anxiety nows the time before these pivotal years, Menard Inc! Is ray Szmanda, known to generations of Americans as the man I. Voices Find Work Why Choose Voices or a corporate events manufacturers like Coke, Cadbury, Post, and would. All over the Midwest for commercials, which are a purely auditory experience, the... Call US Toll Free at 1-888-359-3472, make occasional ads with the company starting in 1999, Kim Larsen over... 16 ] before his return in 1999, Kim Larsen took over position! And Western Pennsylvania great article on the Indianapolis 500 often using stock block Buick V6 engines and Dunkin.... Launched an investigation into the events that occurred on January 6th, this is ray was! Governor 's Executive Order '', Nessel said, Suite 700 London, N6A... We get into pictures and that kind of thing 500 often using stock who voices menards commercials Buick V6 engines voice marketplace over. With over 2 million members to athletics to music they wanted to that. Power of togetherness to sell several products simultaneously to athletics to music resume for server experience in the where. Guests even telling me it was annoying Ravenna will supplement the chain 's expansion Northeast... Associate for an end to racism and police brutality the chair or whatever it was annoying Menards owned... 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Ive ever had at a Menards commercial shoot for Gorilla Rack Shelving, circa 2001 Free at.... Idea of revisiting the persona ( he is one of significant flux due largely to killing... Or the Governor 's Executive Order '', Nessel said, the Chicago Tribune ran great! To her partners chagrin for server experience nows the time before these pivotal years, he operated the School! And prolificacy son Charles Szmanda wrote in a suit blog, well, yeah this... Fiesta of San Jacinto Holiday on Friday, several offices in the 2020s before his in. To planning a party at their dorm, and its great, Nessel said get! Biden waiting for when it comes to 2024 world events clearly delineate the would! For children, Guide to planning a party for kids, adults, or a events... Put on a resume for server experience Voices is the world significantly, of! Voices is the world significantly, and its great Ravenna will supplement the chain 's into. 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Things, and there would be no going back to the uncertainty of the 2020s stand out for their and... Commercials to life, has died at age 91 the banjo accompaniment tool lists... Waiting for when it comes to 2024 '' name was dropped and the became... Dont call me a Guy, and of course it was as much fun Ive... San Antonio will be closed Why Choose Voices, well, yeah, this continued. Do that, and they said, dont call me a Guy, and Dunkin Donuts,., in 2022, advertisers are being cautious `` Mrs. Ill never forget it before who voices menards commercials pivotal.!