“Life is so much better when you win lots of awards for stuff.” - President James K. Polk, 1846

We couldn't agree more with ol' Jimmy, a man known primarily for the 39 bowling trophies he amassed during his 22 years of Wednesday night league play. 

Yep, life is suddenly worthwhile, now that work we created as part of the BusinessVoice team has won a quartet of shiny MarCom Awards. Here's the list. 

Platinum Award: Lakeland Auto & Marine - “Previously”

Platinum Award: Binkelman - “Time Stands Still”

Gold Award: Binkelman - “All Roads”

Honorable Mention: Med-Line - "HIPPA-tastic” 

You can hear the Gold winner here and the Honorable Mention winner here, and watch the videos of the two Platinum winners below.

 

 

Ten years ago, this Humor On Hold production for a company called Amazing Space earned a Gold ADDY and Best of Show honors at the Fifth District ADDY Awards, a competition that features only the best work from all advertising clubs in Ohio, Kentucky and West Virginia. It's the last stop before the national awards ceremony. 

The piece also won a Silver ADDY at the local level and a Silver prize from the On Hold Messaging Association’s MARCE Awards. "Love the Amazing Space concept,” wrote MARCE judge Dave Savage. “On the surface it seems like normal, everyday on hold messaging, but what the voiceover is saying is VERY different. Great idea!”

The BusinessVoice client wrote, “We would like to pass along our appreciation for an excellent job in producing and delivering our on hold messaging. We had asked for something very clever, unique and fun, and your team came through with flying colors on the first shot. Daily we get compliments from customers calling in, and it definitely contributes to Amazing Space’s brand development.”

Scott wrote the copy. Amy and Scott provided the voiceover. 

 

There's nothing more fun than having your teeth drilled, but coming in a close second might be this Humor On Hold demo that Scott wrote and voiced. It was produced through BusinessVoice

 

The judges at the 2016 MARCE Awards had a lot of nice things to say about the Humor On Hold in the video below, which is a good indicator of how much they had to drink during the judging process.

“Really well written, and the voice actors were spot on. I laughed several times. Very funny!” - Andy Hedberg

“Great voice acting by the men, super cute and creative writing. Great use of sound effects.” - Rachel McGrath

“I really had to put some thought into finding something to criticize. There's nothing perfect and there's always something that could be better, but in this case, it's a challenge to find. Pretty excellent, top-to-bottom.” - Emmett Andrews 

Produced through BusinessVoice, the piece won the Judge's Choice trophy at the MARCEs that year, as well as a Gold Communicator Award.

Scott wrote the copy. Amy and Scott provided voice work, along with Ed Hunter and Steve Lovvorn. The in-studio catering was served up by Greasy Joe's Macaroni Castle, home of the free napkins. 

 

Look, we admit it: we forgot to wrap this Humor On Hold production in foil or shove it in a ZipLoc brand bag with the patented Smart Zip Plus® seal. But somehow, it stayed semi-fresh after all these years. Just in case, though, keep a waste basket nearby while listening to it. Ya' know, in case it makes you vomit. Good luck. 

Take a backwards listen with us as we remember this healthy hunk of holiday hilarity from 2016 created for BusinessVoice. But beware: it's sure to destroy any fond memories you may have of the Christmas season, while simultaneously rendering any hope of future yuletide joy highly unlikely. 

 

This montage of Humor On Hold content features messages created for several clients. It was unceremoniously smooshed together by a special machine that does that sort of thing. All the individual chunks were produced in the BusinessVoice studioswhich haven't had shag carpet on the walls for a few years now. Amy and Scott are the primary announcers. 

 

Don't worry! If this Humor On Hold production leads to your temporary incontinence, we'll gladly mop up the puddle. Scott wrote the copy and provided several voices. Amy plays the happy mom in segment two and the hard-boiled employee in the finale. The whole mess was put together with the help of Recording Engineer Chris Zaharias in the BusinessVoice studios. Sadly, three donkeys were damaged beyond recognition during production. 

 

Upon hearing his new humorous On Hold Marketing production that Scott wrote, produced and voiced through BusinessVoice, Lakeland Auto and Marine President Chris Hamann called Scott to complain.  

“We get people who call all the time and WANT to be put on hold," Chris said. "Vendors and customers call us and just laugh. We actually changed our phone set-up to feature the On Hold Marketing. The feedback has been absolutely fantastic. I keep thinking [the productions] can’t get better, but this one topped them all. I think it’s just phenomenal. I really mean this - it’s truly been enjoyable working with you. I’m so thankful that you’re willing to do this kind of stuff for us. I appreciate what you do for us. Great job, Scott.” 

Ya' know, now that we read those comments again they don't seem much like complaining.

Hmmm. Not sure what we were thinkin'. 

UPDATE: This work won a 2019 Platinum MarCom Creative Award.

 

The Caller Experience Marketing agency BusinessVoice has a very happy client in Steve Eaton. He's the CEO of Med-Line, a pharmaceutical delivery service based in Pompano Beach, Florida. Scott writes Med-Line's Humor On Hold content, and he and Amy serve as the voices. Listen to a sample in the video below. 

Here are a few of Steve's thoughts from a recent email interview. 

BusinessVoice:
Is there something that attracted you to BusinessVoice as an agency or, specifically, our style of humor?

Steve: I chose BusinessVoice after listening to the many sample recordings on YouTube. I was very impressed by not only the scripts, but how well they were presented by your voice talents. I think there is really only one clear option for anyone looking for On Hold Marketing, whether it be humor or otherwise, and that is BusinessVoice.

BusinessVoice: Have you received any feedback on the OHM from callers or staff members?

Steve: My customers love it. Most have stated they would like to hear more. The On Hold Marketing scripts [Scott] creates are not only funny, but also informative. They provide valuable information about specific aspects of my operation that some may not be aware of. In the 15+ years I’ve been in business, this is by far the best marketing [money] I have spent.