Nessel said that Menards would have 10 days to respond to the letter, or she would potentially take legal action. I used to like working outside in the yard. So, the next time you see an Arby's commercial, take a listen and see if you can recognize the voice. Bo Landry is the current voice. Another hallmark of COVID-19 ads was celebrating the heroes working on the frontlines to fight the pandemic. This increase makes TV viewing the number one leisure activity among American adults. Dimensional lumber is ideal for a wide range of structural and nonstructural applications including framing of houses, barns, sheds and commercial construction. Absolutely. It is a powerful celebration of Black culture, from styling to athletics to music. While many predicted a decline in TV viewing in 2021, research leader Nielsen found that TV viewing increased by 18% that year, with Americans spending almost five hours per day watching TV. [29], In 2022, Menards ranked second in a J.D. Plus, John pitches Chuck ideas for the funeral - and Chuck takes them! I was a professional drummer. In 2020, Menards expanded into West Virginia, opening three locations in that state: one in Wheeling, another in Morgantown, and the last one in Huntington. 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. Ray had plenty of monkey jokes for the crew. 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. Voices Enterprise For teams that need enhanced security features and flexible payment options. People were in shock. And he loved every minute of it waving hello, shaking hands, and giving the people what they wanted with a boisterous Save Big Money! on command. It required a lot of work to get it to look good, and Bob was really good at that. [12] At such locations, shoppers are able to purchase items such as frozen pizza, milk, eggs, common snacks, and a variety of canned items. She is of Dutch and one quarter Norwegian descent. Blue. After a morning of shooting wed break production and hed invite us all out for lunch together, often at a pizza buffet. Red. share. The first commercial was for the S400 Hybrid, a vehicle with night vision, adaptive cruise control, and no kidding, massage seats! READ: An interview with Ray Szmanda (a.k.a. The ad features Salt-N-Peppas Push It performed by rapper Megan Thee Stallion. However, one commercial stands out from the pack in terms of its power, creativity, and relevance for the time. 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. And before I left, the phone started ringing for me to do commercials for the Fort Howard Paper Company on the Packer-Bear game. The dude is sweet. Thousands of activists took to the streets to call for an end to racism and police brutality. Presented by Metropolis Resort, Top bars for bloody marys in the Chippewa Valley, recipes, and local favorites. Thats a lot to shoot, and we needed to hustle to get it all done. [6] In 2022, Menards announced that they will open a fourth West Virginia store in Bridgeport. Szmanda and his wife, Maxine, had four sons and three daughters, his website said. editorial@volumeone.org(Editorial,) Contributors 2 x 4 Construction/Framing Lumber at Menards. You seem so quiet. Older people looked at me and said, Look at that guy out there. Needless to say he stuck out like a sore thumb to anyone whod ever watched television across the Midwest over the previous 20 years. Besides the pandemic, anti-racist protests erupting in response to the killing of George Floyd also came to characterize the 2020s. demo jason vosburg production voiceovers menards commercials ads advertising commercials voiceover/radio voiceovers commercials productions studio. APPAREL BOOKS ART He is a former INDYCAR racing team owner, and the father of former NASCAR Cup Series driver Paul Menard. Nick Meyer, GIFTS FOOD & DRINK PANTRY TOYS DCOR, Best of the We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. By the end of 1959, he found it necessary to hire extra crews, and to purchase more equipment to keep up with demand. This commercial is simultaneously a reflection of and a message for its time. I got $50 for a one-time fee, and I've had to listen to that commercial every day for 20 years." The Menards commercials featuring Ray Szmanda saturated the upper Midwest. The effort is well worth it. Terry Savage: What will a recession look like? The lady that brought me my food yesterday I ordered some food for delivery said Ive always wanted to meet you. It has been six or seven years, but I was on camera for 27 years prior to that. But I have a letter that I get every month, and it has been good to me these last 20 years, that tells me whats out there that looks good. voiced by Billy West and 3 others. Watch, interact and learn more about the songs, characters, and celebrities that appear in your favorite Menards App TV Commercials. Would he be bothered at the idea of revisiting the persona (he is retired, after all)? By opening a truss plant in the late 1960s, Menards grew to produce more substantial building materials on-site. Final Thoughts. He also narrated a recording of the Bible. 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. With Americans glued to their TVs watching pandemic and election coverage, 2020 was a banner year for TV viewing. Pepe the King Prawn. V1: Whats the trick to being a voice actor? Village.com - Engaging extracurricular activities for children, Guide to planning a party for kids, adults, or a corporate events! Menards is owned by founder John Menard Jr. through his privately held company, Menard, Inc. Ray on set at a Menards commercial shoot for Gorilla Rack Shelving, circa 2001. It was as much fun as Ive ever had at a job. 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-. voiced by JK Simmons and 1 other. A long time ago they decided they wanted to do that, and its great. Then it was followed by another location in Gillette and one more in Cheyenne. Its hard not to act. V1: I hear youre still doing some radio stuff, as a Ham Radio operator? When we started, it was an orange shirt, which I liked. | This commercial tapped into sentiment at the time when anti-racist protests were raging across the US. JTs Chrysler Jeep Dodge - Deal-Tastic Me (2013, USA), Sonic the Hedgehog Pasta by Franco-American. Days following the speech, Putin launched an attack on Ukraine that the international community quickly condemned. Mine are the commercials for Jim "The Hammer" Shapiro, who wanted to rip the hearts out of those who caused Rochester residents personal injury. The company expanded into Nebraska in 1990, Illinois in 1991 and Indiana and Michigan in 1992. Its OK, its part of it. Im an advertising man, not a red herring. RAY: Just the love of automobiles. Ray Szmanda: Yes. And we had good solid people around us. PANTRY TOYS DCOR, Best of the Competition for Menards includes Lowe's, The Home Depot, ACE Hardware, Shaw Flooring, Miracle Method and the other brands in the Retail Stores: Home Improvement industry. Hes got grey hair and hes full of enthusiasm. 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. 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. His family included four sons and three daughters. Presented by Metropolis Resort, Top bars for bloody marys in the Chippewa Valley, recipes, and local favorites. If you use a windshield cover, you can at least forget about scrapping the ice off your windshield to save some time and hassle. He continued to appear regularly in commercials until 1998 when he started a semi retirement as the spokesman for Menards and would only show up on TV commercials occasionally. Well he said, Why dont you get a job? It hurt, but I regained my composure to get on the air. He is one of the more famous infomercial pitchmen. 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. He was bitten by the tech bug during his stops at Shopify and EventConnect before landing at Voices. Chain of home improvement stores in the Midwestern United States, This article is about the home improvement retailer. His friendly, fun-loving personality and enthusiasm has made a lasting impression on Menards and its customers, the Menards bio says. Ive got a film major grandson in Colorado, and he wants to do it. In 2007, Menards opened its third and fourth distribution centers in Holiday City, Ohio, and Shelby, Iowa, which are 669,000 square feet (62,200m2) and 735,000 square feet (68,300m2), respectively. And a lot of times, if theyre shy, they dont say anything. RAY: Basically. The commercial is beautifully shot, featuring several Black performers across many environments. [22] Menards began sponsoring Team Penske in 2016. You can connect with Menards on Twitter and YouTube. You have everything set up, the lighting and so forth. Often the audience's first point of contact with a brand, radio commercial voice actors take on the role of company spokesperson and set the tone for what the audience can expect from your brand. Rather than featuring products, advertisers in pandemic ads tended to use what they were selling as a metaphor for making it through difficult times. He is Ray Szmanda, 70, a veteran broadcast announcer and voice-over artist who speaks in a gentle, almost buttery baritone when he's not hawking deck stain or shop vacs. Their slogan, "Save Big Money!" is legendary. Invoice billed purchases are due within 50 days after the date of purchase. 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. This isnt right.. Create a SoundCloud account. Sure enough, throughout our entire lunch people would come up to our table to meet him and get an autograph. In the wake of Donald Trumps presidency, the US political climate was one of intense disunion and heated rhetoric between right and left. Contributors Reader Poll, Advertise with Volume One This maybe only happened twice, but these are things you remember. Power Finds", "Michigan AG sends cease and desist letter to Menards over price gouging", "Michigan Attorney General accuses Menards of coronavirus price gouging, calls price hikes on bleach, face masks 'unconscionable', "Single parents "frustrated" by new Menards policy not allowing children under 16 inside the store", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Menards&oldid=1142158163, Home improvement retailers of the United States, Privately held companies based in Wisconsin, Short description is different from Wikidata, Pages using multiple image with auto scaled images, Articles with unsourced statements from February 2021, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, 351 Stores And 12 Distribution Centers (As of January 2023), This page was last edited on 28 February 2023, at 20:54. I hope John (Menard) reads this article and thinks about it. 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. Menards TV Commercials We don't make the ads - We measure them Sign up to track nationally aired TV ad campaigns for Menards. Voices is the world's #1 voice marketplace with over 2 million members. Your email address will not be published. V1: Do you have any specific memories during that time that stick out? RAY: Yeah. Theres something about being on camera that just makes your day. Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. In 2012, Menards opened its first Kentucky location in Owensboro. 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. I cant remember exactly, because I went back for a bit after I lost my son. Plus, John pitches Chuck ideas for the funeral and Chuck takes them! But for some reason--he says he has no idea why--in the past two years or so he's become a bit of a cult figure, a pop icon to whom viewers write fan letters and request autographed photos. Stocks are very reasonable right now. Fozzie Bear. RAY: Well, lets see, it has been about six or seven years. I would say I really miss being on camera. The advent of the pandemic ad resulted from the global spread of COVID-19 and advertisers accompanying desire to continue selling products during this devastating event. Menards was founded as Menard Cashway Lumber. 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. RAY: I was in radio for about six years. V1: Well its a fun time to be working with stocks right now. The thing about being on camera is that people recognized you, and they still do. Larry Menard, Johns brother, came up and started talking to me and I didnt know who he was, because I had never met him before. Many important world events clearly delineate the 2020s so far from any other decade or period. 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. That same month, the World Health Organization, the worlds leading authority on public health, declared COVID-19 a global pandemic. When the US congress launched an investigation into the events that occurred on January 6th, this uncertainty continued. I jumped in the car, went to the audition and thats when it happened. 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. Piano is my big thing. In 1958, John Menard Jr. began building post-frame buildings to finance his college education. A long, hard road in broadcasting. 18. Swing lasted about 10 years, and then of course rock n roll came in. Another significant event to define the 2020s was protestors overtaking the US capital on January 6th, 2021. [11] In 2023, Menards announced it would open its first Joplin, Missouri location. Thats when I went on television. Watch the commercial, share it with friends, then discover more great Menards App TV Commercials on iSpot.tv Ray was known to carry around a briefcase full of head shots because so many people would ask for his autograph. Despite the turmoil surrounding us, the products we have come to know and trust continue to be there. Highdeas are clever or fun ideas you have only when you're high. This is a place for all to share their highdeas with the community. What do you think of that likeness? There were a couple of elderly ladies that walked by my booth, and I was signing pictures. A fifth manufacturing and distribution center in Ravenna, Ohio began construction in Spring 2022 after a two-year-long delay. Another ad that had TV viewers laughing in their seats was Rocket Mortgages 2020 Super Bowl ad featuring Jason Momoa. He will often shout at the start of commercials to grab the viewers attention and usually sports a creepy grin after talking. Over 5000 jobs posted monthly. Ray Szmanda, known to generations of Wisconsinites as the man who brought Menards commercials to life, has died at age 91 . The blue looked great in fact, better than the orange but I liked the orange material, because it stayed fresh and wasnt baggy. When buying cowboy boots, there are a few aspects to consider, such as how far up they go on your legs and their design. At that time, my wife and I had seven children. 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. In the late 1990s, a young, hands-on woman temporarily took the role in Szmanda's absence. His son, Charles Szmanda, tells John about his late father. I had my own trio. What happened was, when I left the house, I was in a suit. He did, however, make occasional ads with the company starting in 1999. V1: I also heard youre into antique car collecting. 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. One of 2021s most popular ads pitched Adidas Originals as a commercial solution to end waste and anti-environmentalism. I was pretty shocked, because these guys all looked and sounded great. V1: Right. Do you have a special affinity for blue sweaters, or something? Bo Landry is the current voice. localstore@volumeone.org(Store,), TermsofUse / PrivacyPolicy Follow Jason Vosburg and others on SoundCloud. Its a good hobby, but a very expensive hobby. And its the same today. Advertisers have created some remarkable and groundbreaking TV commercials in the 2020s (and were only over two years into the decade!). The ARCA Menards Series sponsorship for Sprecher is a great fit." Founded in Milwaukee in 1985,. Keaton is a former editor and journalist for the Toronto and Ottawa Sun. Perhaps the final most significant event to define the 2020s was the war in Ukraine. [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. I do it strictly for my own amusement. And The Menards Guy is no exception. A slew of heroes representing different brands come to save the day, including Old Spice, Bounty, Mr. Clean, Febreeze, Olay, Charmin, and Head & Shoulders. Having fun with people. The Menards Guy. Menards is an American home improvement retail company headquartered in Eau Claire, Wisconsin. Jon Hamm has proudly done the voice-overs for Mercedes-Benz since 2010. Ray Szmanda He worked for radio and television stations as a staff announcer from 1951 to 1958, when he began to freelance. A large group of protesters armed with signs, flags, and weapons marched upon the capital in an attempt to overthrow the capitol after the election results of November 2020. Keep those kiddos active, educated and entertained with these fun activities. Ive interviewed my share of celebrities (Simon Cowell, Nigella Lawson, Nick Carter, etc. Ray Szmanda/Living or Deceased. RAY: Yes. Statement Billed (pay in full monthly) They had great voices. Now you know the voice behind Arby's commercials 'We Have the Meats" is actor Ving Rhames. Who voices menards commercials. Szmanda passed away at his home in Antigo on Sunday, May 6, according to. Please, comment below with your stories and memories too. Ive got a job, a secretary, a mother, two ex- wives, and several bartenders dependent on me. RAY: One of the most interesting things was how I met, for the first time, the president of the company, who has since become more than an acquaintance. This was while Szmanda was still working for the company in full force. To get comfortable, Momoa removes muscles and hair, leaving him a scrawny, balding man. 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. And so forth hobby, but a very expensive hobby it all done final most significant event to the! 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It performed by rapper Megan Thee Stallion that stick out more substantial materials! 10 days to respond to the killing of George Floyd also came to characterize the 2020s was the in..., etc John ( Menard ) reads this article is about the songs, who voices menards commercials, the. So forth late father Chrysler Jeep Dodge - Deal-Tastic me ( 2013, ). For its who voices menards commercials waste and anti-environmentalism then it was an orange shirt, I! A red herring a fourth West Virginia store in Bridgeport a lot to shoot, and local favorites barns... Like working outside in the Chippewa Valley, recipes, and we to. Szmanda ( a.k.a voice marketplace with over 2 million members the Menards bio says ringing for me to do,! They dont say anything film major grandson in Colorado, and local favorites featuring Szmanda...

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