Delivering a message with a human voice, particularly over the phone, is enjoying a renaissance as a powerful mode of delivery that both cultural and commercial projects alike are exploiting.
Customized email isn’t special, receiving a fax isn’t special, not even getting a letter in the mail is special (unless it’s a passionate love letter, I suppose). But a human voice at the other end of a phone line is special, intimate, and immediate.
I’ve noted this renewed faith in telephony in the commercial world, as the “I Love Bees” craze is peaking. “I Love Bees” is a marketing vehicle for the soon-to-be released Halo 2 game. But it is also a game in and of itself, involving many players who participate by following episodes of the drama released online, and receiving GPS coordinates that lead players to pay phones across America. If a player makes it to a designated pay phone at the appointed time, they might be lucky enough to receive a phone call from one of the game’s characters, giving them more insight into the “I Love Bees” mystery.
Receiving a phone call makes this game a part of your real life. Add a convincing voice on the other end of the call and you have gamers remarking that “…it was quite different to speak with a voice actor. She was pretty good. I got really into it, probably too into it. I felt like the characters were real.” (quote from Wired News)
What about receiving a phone message from a celebrity? Signing up to receive updates on eminem.com includes the following option: “Would you like to receive a voice message from Eminem?” It’s a clever option to offer from a marketing perspective. Clearly Eminem’s handlers understand that hearing Em’s unmistakable rapid-fire banter coming out of your own handset could be pretty exciting for a fan, more so than another sterile e-mail update.
Of course, my favourite examples are cultural projects. Though I missed the opportunity to hear Amos Latteier’s “Call of the Wild” project, I admire its vision. The project consisted of audio tours of downtown Portland, Oregon that were accessible by dialing a toll-free number. Latteier’s website explains that the tours focus on the plant and animal life in the downtown core, and that by “using natural history, philosophy, and humor the tours reveal urban biological systems that we see everyday but seldom notice.” A wonderful concept, and an effective example of the possibilities for creative content delivered by the tried and true combination of the human voice and a phone.
Also, it almost goes without saying (since I’ve said it here so often) that the psychogeography-by-phone service that [murmur] offers is a clear success as well. In one of the many media articles about [murmur], it was noted that the project is like a friend whispering in your ear.
Perhaps that’s part of the answer, if the question is why this simple method of delivery is so effective. Listening to a voice on the line is personal, even if the voice you hear is unfamiliar.