50 Fourth of July commercial scripts written by us, free to practice with, record and put in your reel. Every one lists voice age, accent and length.
July Fourth ads come in two sizes of voice. One is the big sale read for mattresses, trucks and appliances. The other is the easy backyard read for hot dogs, ice cream and the town parade. This set has both, plus safety spots for fireworks, pets and driving. Twenty of them are 15 seconds, so they also work for a short video.
He Has Opinions
Fourth of July, hot dogsAdult (25-40)Neutral AmericanOne narrator15 secondsabout 14s
Your uncle has opinions about the grill. He has opinions about everything.
Redfield Franks. All beef, no fillers, ready in six minutes.
He'll still say you're doing it wrong. That part isn't our fault.
Redfield Franks.
Direction: Dry and fond, like you are talking about your own uncle What it is for: A deadpan food read where the product facts stay clean inside the joke. Coach's note: Watch out for mocking the uncle. You like this man. The turn is 'He'll still say you're doing it wrong', said with a shrug, not a punch. What casting listens for: Casting listens for dry humor that still makes the hot dog sound good.
Don't Sleep on It
Fourth of July, mattress saleAdult (40-55)Neutral AmericanOne narrator15 secondsabout 14s
The Pillowmont Fourth of July Mattress Sale is on! Every queen set, four ninety-nine. Free delivery. Free setup. Four days only.
Sleep on it? Don't sleep on it.
Pillowmont Mattress Outlet. Sale ends Sunday.
Direction: Big, fast, classic local hard sell with a grin underneath What it is for: The holiday weekend hard sell in its shortest form: energy up, every number clear. Coach's note: Watch out for shouting past the price. 'Four ninety-nine' has to be the clearest thing in the spot. The turn is 'Don't sleep on it', which drops half a step and lands as a wink. What casting listens for: Casting listens for energy with control. Loud is easy. Loud and clear gets booked.
You have ten fingers. It's a good number. Let's keep it.
This Fourth of July, leave the big fireworks to the professionals.
A message from the Cedar County Fire District. See the show. Keep the count.
Direction: Calm, plain, a firefighter with a dry sense of humor What it is for: A safety message that uses light humor and never turns into a lecture. Coach's note: Watch out for getting grim. Keep it light and level so people keep listening. The turn is 'Let's keep it', where the joke becomes the point. What casting listens for: Casting listens for authority without a wagging finger.
The Sky Is Breaking
Fourth of July, pet safetyAdult (30-45)Neutral AmericanOne narrator15 secondsabout 15s
To you, it's fireworks. To your dog, the sky is breaking.
On July fourth, keep pets indoors, tags on, with a quiet room ready.
Shelters fill up on July fifth. Keep yours home.
From Fennimore Animal Shelter.
Direction: Gentle and direct, speaking to one pet owner What it is for: A short PSA that has to make someone care and act in under fifteen seconds. Coach's note: Watch out for going sad. This is practical advice from someone who loves animals. The turn is 'Shelters fill up on July fifth', said simply, then lift on 'Keep yours home.' What casting listens for: Casting listens for warmth that does not tip into pity, and three clear instructions.
There are two kinds of people at a fireworks show. People with ice cream, and people watching people with ice cream.
Frostwick Creamery. Open late on the Fourth, right by the park.
Frostwick. Be the first kind.
Direction: Playful, a little smug, smiling the whole way What it is for: A set-up and payoff read where the tag line closes the joke. Coach's note: Watch out for throwing away the set-up. If 'people watching people with ice cream' is not clear, the tag has nothing to land on. The turn is 'Be the first kind.' What casting listens for: Casting listens for a smile you can hear and clean timing on the last line.
Under the Big Tent
Fourth of July, fireworks standAdult (40-55)Southern USOne narrator15 secondsabout 15s
Thunder Jack's Fireworks is open! Big tent, corner of Route Nine and Miller Road. Buy one, get one on every fountain, sparkler and rocket.
Your neighbors are gonna love you. Or call somebody.
Thunder Jack's. Open till midnight.
Direction: Loud, friendly, a roadside showman who knows everybody in town What it is for: A regional hard sell with a location to land and one dry aside. Coach's note: Watch out for laying the accent on thick. Keep it natural so the address stays clear. The turn is 'Or call somebody', which goes quiet and sideways before the tag comes back up. What casting listens for: Casting listens for a real person, not a cartoon, and a location you could drive to.
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Somebody Forgot the Ice
Fourth of July, convenience storeAdult (25-40)Neutral AmericanOne narrator15 secondsabout 13s
It's July fourth. It's ninety-four degrees. And somebody forgot the ice.
It was you.
Lantern Corner stores. Ten-pound bags, two ninety-nine, open all day on the Fourth.
Lantern Corner. Nobody has to know.
Direction: Deadpan, quiet, like you are covering for a friend What it is for: Comic timing on a two-word line, then a clean price. Coach's note: Watch out for rushing the pause. 'It was you' needs air before it and after it. The turn is that line, and the price straight after must still be easy to catch. What casting listens for: Casting listens for a pause you are brave enough to hold.
Same Kid, Same Bike
Fourth of July, town paradeMature (55+)Midwestern USOne narrator15 secondsabout 14s
Same route. Same fire truck. Same kid on a bike with streamers, only now it's his kid.
The Harlow Falls Fourth of July Parade. Main Street, ten a.m.
Bring a chair. Wave at everybody.
Direction: Warm and unhurried, a man who has watched this parade for forty years What it is for: A small-town read where one image carries all the feeling. Coach's note: Watch out for pushing the nostalgia. Just tell us what you see. The turn is 'only now it's his kid', and it works best almost thrown away. What casting listens for: Casting listens for ease. If you sound like you are announcing, you have lost it.
One More Thing to Plan
Fourth of July, drunk driving PSAAnyNeutral AmericanOne narrator15 secondsabout 14s
The cooler is packed. The playlist is set. The fireworks start at nine.
One more thing to plan. The ride home.
If you're drinking this Fourth, don't drive.
A message from Tri-County Safe Roads.
Direction: Friendly at the top, then steady and sincere What it is for: Shifting from light to serious in one line without changing volume. Coach's note: Watch out for dropping into a doom voice. Stay the same friendly person who listed the cooler and the playlist. The turn is 'The ride home.' What casting listens for: Casting listens for a believable shift in weight, not a shift in character.
Who Brought the Pie
Fourth of July, bakery piesAdult (40-55)Southern USOne narrator15 secondsabout 14s
Nobody remembers who brought the napkins.
Everybody remembers who brought the pie.
Cherry, peach and blueberry lattice from Henhouse Pie Company. Order by July second, pick up on the third.
Henhouse Pies. Be remembered.
Direction: Warm and knowing, a little bit of gossip in it What it is for: A contrast read with an order deadline that has to stick. Coach's note: Watch out for flattening the contrast. 'Nobody' and 'Everybody' are the two poles, so lean on them lightly. The turn is 'Everybody remembers who brought the pie.' What casting listens for: Casting listens for charm and two clear dates.
Sewn, Not Printed
Fourth of July, flagsMature (55+)Neutral AmericanOne narrator15 secondsabout 17s
Some things you buy once.
A Hale and Harbor flag is sewn, not printed, with stitched stripes and brass fittings built to last through every July.
Hang it on the Fourth. Leave it up as long as you like.
Hale and Harbor.
Direction: Quiet, plain, respectful; no announcer in it at all What it is for: A low-key quality read where restraint does the selling. Coach's note: Watch out for sounding solemn. This is craftsmanship, not a ceremony. The turn is 'Leave it up as long as you like', which relaxes into a small smile. What casting listens for: Casting listens for a voice people trust without being told to.
Parade-Proof
Fourth of July, sunscreenYoung adult (18-25)Neutral AmericanOne narrator15 secondsabout 13s
Red, white and blue is a great look for the yard.
Red is a bad look for your shoulders.
Sunhatch SPF fifty. Sweat-proof, pool-proof, parade-proof.
Sunhatch. Enjoy the Fourth. Skip the burn.
Direction: Bright, quick, a friend handing you the bottle What it is for: A fast, upbeat read with a list of three that builds. Coach's note: Watch out for reading the list flat. 'Sweat-proof, pool-proof, parade-proof' climbs, and the third one is the joke. The turn is 'Red is a bad look for your shoulders.' What casting listens for: Casting listens for bounce without sounding like a cheerleader.
Thump Away
Fourth of July, farm standAdult (25-40)Midwestern USOne narrator15 secondsabout 14s
You thump it. You listen. You nod like you know what that means.
Nobody knows what that means.
At Pruitt Farm Stand, every watermelon is ripe. Five dollars each through July fourth.
Pruitt's. Thump away.
Direction: Dry and friendly, letting the listener in on a secret What it is for: A tiny comic observation that has to set up, pay off and sell in four lines. Coach's note: Watch out for explaining the joke with your voice. Describe the thumping seriously. The turn is 'Nobody knows what that means', flat and honest. What casting listens for: Casting listens for timing and a price that is easy to catch.
One Job
Fourth of July, paper platesAdult (30-45)Neutral AmericanOne narrator15 secondsabout 14s
A paper plate has one job.
Hold the beans. Hold the slaw. Hold a burger the size of a hubcap. And do not fold.
Stoutleaf plates. Triple-ply, soak-proof, cookout-ready.
Stoutleaf. We hold up our end.
Direction: Mock serious, a coach giving a pep talk to a plate What it is for: A building list with a hard stop, then a quick product line. Coach's note: Watch out for letting the list run at one level. Each 'Hold' gets heavier. The turn is 'And do not fold', short and stern. What casting listens for: Casting listens for commitment to a silly idea without mugging.
Let Them Look
Fourth of July, lawn careAdult (40-55)Neutral AmericanOne narrator15 secondsabout 14s
The parade goes right past your house this year.
So does everybody you know.
Fairway Brothers Lawn Care. Mowed, edged and striped by July third, starting at forty-five dollars.
Fairway Brothers. Let them look.
Direction: Cool, confident, a little bit competitive What it is for: A service read that sells pride, with one date and one price. Coach's note: Watch out for sounding worried about the neighbors. She is not worried, she is ready. The turn is 'So does everybody you know.' What casting listens for: Casting listens for quiet confidence and a clean offer.
The Fourth One's Free
Fourth of July, tire shopAdult (25-40)Neutral AmericanOne narrator15 secondsabout 16s
Road trip this Fourth? Check your tires! Right now at Wheelwright Tire, buy three, get the fourth free! Free rotation. Free balance. Out in an hour.
The fourth tire. Free. On the Fourth.
Wheelwright Tire. We did that on purpose.
Direction: Fast, punchy hard sell that is pleased with its own pun What it is for: A short hard sell built on wordplay that only works if every word is clean. Coach's note: Watch out for smearing the pun. 'The fourth tire. Free. On the Fourth' needs three separate beats. The turn is 'We did that on purpose', dropped low and dry. What casting listens for: Casting listens for speed with diction, and a tag that gets a smile.
The Ribs Are Not Going Back
Fourth of July, appliance saleAdult (40-55)Southern USOne narrator15 secondsabout 14s
Your freezer is full. The ribs don't fit. Company comes Saturday.
The Brannigan's Fourth of July Appliance Sale. Chest freezers from one ninety-nine, delivered tomorrow.
Brannigan's Appliance. Because the ribs are not going back.
Direction: Urgent but calm, a friend solving your problem fast What it is for: Problem, solution, tag in under fifteen seconds, with a price and a delivery promise. Coach's note: Watch out for racing the set-up. Three short problems, each one worse. The turn is 'Because the ribs are not going back', said like a fact of life. What casting listens for: Casting listens for a clear price and a personality in the last line.
Two movies. One giant screen. And when the credits roll, don't start the car.
Fireworks over the field, July fourth, at the Moonpost Drive-In. Ten dollars a carload.
Moonpost. Pack the car. All of it.
Direction: Excited, a little hushed, like sharing a plan for a great night What it is for: An event read with a date, a price and a tease in the first breath. Coach's note: Watch out for giving away the surprise too early. Hold back on 'don't start the car' so the fireworks line can open up. The turn is 'Pack the car. All of it.' What casting listens for: Casting listens for real enthusiasm and a price that lands.
Before You Go
Fourth of July, blood driveAdult (30-45)Neutral AmericanOne narrator15 secondsabout 14s
Holiday weekends are busy for hospitals. And donations drop, because everyone's at the lake.
Before you go, give a pint. It takes forty minutes.
Overbrook Community Blood Center. Open July third. Somebody's counting on a stranger.
Direction: Direct, kind, no guilt in it What it is for: A short PSA that asks for something real without pressure. Coach's note: Watch out for guilting the listener. Nobody is in trouble for going to the lake. The turn is 'Before you go, give a pint', an easy ask from a friend. What casting listens for: Casting listens for sincerity and an ask that sounds doable.
Take the Credit
Fourth of July, barbecue restaurantMature (55+)Southern USOne narrator15 secondsabout 16s
We put the brisket on at five last night. Fourteen hours over oak. Nobody rushed it.
You could do that yourself this Fourth.
Or you could call Smokeline Barbecue and pick it up at noon.
Smokeline. Take the credit.
Direction: Slow, low, a pitmaster who is in no hurry at all What it is for: A slow read in a short spot. Trains trusting the pause when the clock is tight. Coach's note: Watch out for speeding up because it is only fifteen seconds. The slowness is the brand. The turn is 'Or you could call Smokeline', with a grin you can hear. What casting listens for: Casting listens for ease, texture and a man who knows his brisket.
The Sell-Down
Fourth of July, car dealershipAdult (30-45)Neutral AmericanOne narrator30 secondsabout 32s
It's the Dunmore Auto Mall Fourth of July Sell-Down, and everything goes!
Over three hundred new and pre-owned cars, trucks and SUVs, marked down and ready to roll. Zero down. Zero payments until October. And up to four thousand dollars for your trade, running or not!
Hot dogs on the lot. Balloons for the kids. Deals for the grown-ups.
But the fireworks end Monday at nine, and so do these prices.
Dunmore Auto Mall. Highway Twelve at Exit Six. Hurry in!
Direction: Full hard sell: fast, loud, happy, and every number crisp What it is for: The classic local car spot. Trains speed, breath control and clean numbers under pressure. Coach's note: Watch out for running out of air by the address. Mark your breaths before you start. The turn is 'But the fireworks end Monday at nine', where the urgency kicks up a gear. What casting listens for: Casting listens for stamina. The last line has to be as strong as the first.
Plenty of Propane
Fourth of July, propane exchangeAdult (30-45)Neutral AmericanOne narrator30 secondsabout 30s
Every Fourth of July, a man stands at a grill and says, we've got plenty of propane.
He doesn't check. He just knows.
Twenty minutes later, forty burgers are raw, eleven relatives are staring, and that man is driving very fast.
Bluecap Propane Exchange. Swap your empty tank for a full one in two minutes, at over two hundred stores near you.
Bluecap. Get a spare. He won't ask for one. Get it anyway.
Direction: Dry, straight-faced, like a nature documentary about dads What it is for: Dry comedy storytelling that hands off cleanly to a product pitch. Coach's note: Watch out for winking at the joke. Report the facts and let the listener laugh. The turn is 'He doesn't check. He just knows', and the pitch after it should stay in the same calm voice. What casting listens for: Casting listens for a narrator who never cracks and a pitch that does not feel bolted on.
Before They See It
Fourth of July, hardware and grillsAdult (40-55)Midwestern USOne narrator30 secondsabout 28s
Company's coming Saturday. Let's be honest about the backyard.
The grill has a wheel missing. The hose leaks. And that lawn chair folded up on your brother-in-law last year, with him in it.
Stillwater Hardware has it all this week. Gas grills from one ninety-nine. Patio chairs, two for thirty. Charcoal, hoses, string lights and bug spray, all on sale through July fourth.
Stillwater Hardware. Fix it before they see it.
Direction: Friendly, honest, a neighbor looking over your fence What it is for: A retail read with a comic list up top and a price list underneath. Coach's note: Watch out for blurring the prices into the jokes. Change gears at 'Stillwater Hardware has it all this week' and give each price its own beat. The turn is 'with him in it.' What casting listens for: Casting listens for personality in the story and precision in the offer.
A Phone Call Is Better
Fourth of July, veterans nonprofitAdult (40-55)Neutral AmericanOne narrator30 secondsabout 30s
For most of us, the Fourth of July is a day off.
For some of our neighbors, it's the loudest night of the year, in a year that's already been hard.
Second Watch helps local veterans with rides to appointments, home repairs, and somebody to call who has been there too.
This Fourth, a flag is nice. A phone call is better.
Second Watch Veterans Fund. Give an hour. Give a dollar. Show up.
Direction: Honest and level, one neighbor to another, no announcer polish What it is for: A heartfelt nonprofit read that asks for something without pleading. Coach's note: Watch out for performing the emotion. Say it plainly and trust the words. The turn is 'A flag is nice. A phone call is better', which should feel like a thought, not a slogan. What casting listens for: Casting listens for sincerity that respects the people it is talking about.
Fireworks Twice
Fourth of July, lake resortAdult (30-45)Neutral AmericanOne narrator30 secondsabout 30s
There's a dock at Pinewater Lake where the fireworks happen twice. Once in the sky. Once on the water.
Spend the Fourth of July weekend with us. Cabins that sleep six. Kayaks, a fish fry on Friday, and a bonfire every night.
Three nights from four hundred and ninety dollars, and kids stay free.
No traffic. No parking garage. Just the lake, doing its thing.
Pinewater Lake Resort. A few cabins are left. Not many.
Direction: Relaxed and inviting, like the first evening of a vacation What it is for: A travel read that paints a picture, lands a price, and closes with soft urgency. Coach's note: Watch out for speeding up at the price. The whole spot is slow on purpose. The turn is 'Once in the sky. Once on the water', so let the second half settle. What casting listens for: Casting listens for a voice that lowers the listener's shoulders.
Cookout for Twelve
Fourth of July, grocery cookoutAdult (25-40)Midwestern USOne narrator30 secondsabout 26s
The whole cookout, one stop, at Dellwood Fresh Market.
Ground chuck, three ninety-nine a pound. Sweet corn, ten ears for three dollars. Watermelons, four ninety-nine each. Buns, chips and lemonade, all buy one, get one.
That's a cookout for twelve for under sixty dollars.
You still have to invite the neighbors. We can't help with that.
Dellwood Fresh Market. Prices good through July fourth.
Direction: Upbeat and neighborly, quick but never rushed What it is for: Price-list practice: four offers in a row that all stay distinct. Coach's note: Watch out for rushing the list. Every item and its price is a pair, so keep them together and separate the pairs. The turn is 'You still have to invite the neighbors.' What casting listens for: Casting listens for clean prices and a likeable aside.
On the Fourth of July, this lake gets about four times the boats and about half the patience.
So here's the short version.
Life jackets on, not under the seat. A sober driver at the wheel, same as a car. And slow down near the docks, because kids jump off them.
We'd love to wave at you this weekend. We'd rather not meet you.
A message from the Lake Marlow Water Patrol.
Direction: Easygoing, weathered, a patrol officer leaning on the dock rail What it is for: A safety PSA delivered with humor and three instructions that must stay clear. Coach's note: Watch out for turning stern at the rules. He is friendly because he wants you to listen. The turn is 'We'd rather not meet you', dry and kind at once. What casting listens for: Casting listens for relaxed authority and a real person behind the badge.
Stay in Your Seat
Fourth of July, minor league baseballYoung adult (18-25)Neutral AmericanOne narrator30 secondsabout 28s
Baseball. Hot dogs. And the biggest fireworks show in the county.
July third at Calloway Field, your Kingfishers take on Port Dalton at seven oh five. Dollar hot dogs all night. The first thousand fans get a free cap.
And when the last out is made, stay in your seat. The lights go down, and the sky goes up.
Kingfishers baseball. Tickets start at nine dollars. The fireworks are free.
Direction: Ballpark energy, big and fun, then hushed for the fireworks line What it is for: An event promo with a date, a time and a dynamic drop near the end. Coach's note: Watch out for staying at one volume. The spot needs a dip so the finish can rise. The turn is 'stay in your seat', where you come down close before 'the sky goes up.' What casting listens for: Casting listens for excitement that sounds real and a start time nobody could miss.
Nobody Pours Their Own Tea
Fourth of July, sweet teaAdult (30-45)Southern USOne narrator30 secondsabout 31s
My grandmother had two rules for the Fourth of July. Nobody goes hungry. And nobody pours their own tea.
She made it in the big glass jar, on the porch rail, in the sun. Took all morning.
Miss Odelia's Sweet Tea tastes like that. Real brewed tea, real cane sugar, nothing you can't pronounce.
It does not take all morning. I think she'd forgive me.
Miss Odelia's Sweet Tea. In the cold case. Pour one for somebody.
Direction: Soft, storytelling, remembering somebody you loved What it is for: A first-person memory read that slides into product copy without a bump. Coach's note: Watch out for getting syrupy. Keep it light and specific. The turn is 'It does not take all morning. I think she'd forgive me', a small private joke. What casting listens for: Casting listens for a real memory and an accent that sits easy.
Eagle Optional
Fourth of July, fun runAdult (25-40)Neutral AmericanOne narrator30 secondsabout 30s
Here is the plan for July fourth.
Seven a.m., you run three point one miles through downtown Elm Hollow with eight hundred neighbors and one man dressed as an eagle.
Eight a.m., you get a medal, a popsicle, and bragging rights.
For the rest of the day, you eat whatever you want and nobody can say a word.
The Elm Hollow Firecracker Run. Sign up at the rec center by July first. Walkers welcome. Eagle optional.
Direction: Cheerful and matter-of-fact, reading out a very reasonable plan What it is for: A schedule read with comedy in the details and a sign-up deadline. Coach's note: Watch out for hitting the eagle too hard the first time. Mention him in passing so the callback pays off. The turn is 'nobody can say a word.' What casting listens for: Casting listens for light comic touch and a clear call to action.
Your Air Conditioner Knows
Fourth of July, heating and airAdult (40-55)Southern USOne narrator30 secondsabout 30s
Air conditioners are smart. They know when you're having people over.
That's why they quit on the Fourth of July, at two in the afternoon, with twenty guests in the living room.
Don't give yours the chance. Northwind Heating and Air will tune up your system this week for sixty-nine dollars. And if it breaks anyway, we answer the phone on the holiday. A real person. Same day.
Northwind Heating and Air. Stay cool. Look calm.
Direction: Wry and reassuring, the repairman who has seen it all What it is for: A home services read: a funny problem, then a clear offer and a promise. Coach's note: Watch out for staying jokey through the offer. 'Sixty-nine dollars' and 'Same day' are serious business. The turn is 'Don't give yours the chance.' What casting listens for: Casting listens for someone you would let into your house.
Watch This
Fourth of July, urgent careAdult (30-45)Neutral AmericanOne narrator30 secondsabout 29s
Things we treated last July fourth.
A sparkler burn. A sunburn shaped like a tank top. A volleyball to the nose. And one man who said, watch this.
Pinebrook Urgent Care is open nine to nine on the holiday. No appointment. Most visits under an hour.
We hope you don't need us. We really do.
But if somebody says, watch this, we're on Franklin Avenue, next to the pharmacy.
Pinebrook Urgent Care.
Direction: Calm, kind, a nurse who is trying not to smile What it is for: A healthcare read with a comic list and a caring center. Coach's note: Watch out for laughing at the patients. She has seen it all and judges nobody. The turn is 'We hope you don't need us. We really do', which is fully sincere. What casting listens for: Casting listens for warmth, competence, and a callback that lands lightly.
Your Phone Won't Work
Fourth of July, campgroundAdult (40-55)Neutral AmericanOne narrator30 secondsabout 28s
There is no signal at Tamarack Hollow Campground. We checked. We're not fixing it.
What we do have is ninety wooded sites, a swimming hole, and a Fourth of July potluck where a man named Dale brings his chili every single year.
At dark, the kids get sparklers and the grown-ups get quiet.
Tent sites are thirty dollars a night. Hookups, forty-five.
Tamarack Hollow. Your phone won't work. You'll be fine.
Direction: Dry, unbothered, an owner who likes things the way they are What it is for: A travel read that sells a flaw as the feature. Coach's note: Watch out for apologizing for the missing signal. He is proud of it. The turn is 'the kids get sparklers and the grown-ups get quiet', the one soft moment in the spot. What casting listens for: Casting listens for a distinct point of view and prices that stay clear.
Four Thousand People Say Ooh
Fourth of July, beach town tourismAdult (30-45)Neutral AmericanOne narrator30 secondsabout 31s
On the Fourth of July, everybody in Driftwood Key ends up in the same place.
Around eight, the shops close. Folks carry chairs down to the sand. Somebody's radio is playing. Somebody's toddler is asleep already.
Then the first one goes up, and four thousand people say ooh at the same time.
You don't have to live here to belong here. You just have to show up by eight.
Driftwood Key. Fireworks at nine. The beach is free.
Direction: Warm, visual, telling a friend about your favorite night of the year What it is for: A tourism read built from small pictures that add up to an invitation. Coach's note: Watch out for announcing the scenery. Stay small and specific. The turn is 'You don't have to live here to belong here', and it only works if it is not pushed. What casting listens for: Casting listens for a storyteller who sees what she is describing.
A Little Bit Green
Fourth of July, pool suppliesAdult (25-40)Neutral AmericanOne narrator30 secondsabout 30s
Your pool has a secret, and the secret is that it's a little bit green.
You've got until Saturday. That's when the cousins arrive, and the cousins will say something.
Bring a water sample to Cannonball Pool Supply. We test it free, tell you exactly what it needs, and get you clear in forty-eight hours.
Shock, chlorine and floats are all twenty percent off this week.
Cannonball Pool Supply. Blue by the Fourth. That's a promise.
Direction: Conspiratorial at the top, then brisk and helpful What it is for: A problem and solution retail read with a deadline and a guarantee. Coach's note: Watch out for staying in the whisper too long. Once you reach 'Bring a water sample', be the expert. The turn is 'the cousins will say something.' What casting listens for: Casting listens for humor up top and trust in the back half.
It hasn't rained here in six weeks. The grass is the color of straw, and it burns like it.
So this Fourth of July, we're asking for a favor.
Skip the fireworks at the cabin. Drown the campfire until it's cold to the touch. And keep the trailer chains from dragging on the road.
There's a free show over the reservoir at nine thirty. Come watch that one with us.
One spark is all it takes. From the Elk Summit Fire Council.
Direction: Serious and neighborly, asking, not ordering What it is for: A straight PSA with three specific instructions and an alternative to offer. Coach's note: Watch out for sounding like a warning label. He is asking a favor of people he knows. The turn is 'Come watch that one with us', where the tone opens up. What casting listens for: Casting listens for weight without alarm, and instructions you could repeat back.
One Line Each
Fourth of July, historical societyMature (55+)Neutral AmericanOne narrator30 secondsabout 33s
Most of us have never heard the Declaration of Independence out loud. The whole thing, start to finish.
It takes about ten minutes. It has some very long sentences. And it was written to be read to a crowd, on a street, by somebody's neighbor.
So that's what we do. July fourth, eleven a.m., on the courthouse steps. Thirty volunteers, one line each. The youngest is nine.
Come listen. Or sign up and take a line.
The Wexford County Historical Society. Lemonade after.
Direction: Curious and warm, a volunteer who still finds this interesting What it is for: A community invitation that makes history sound like something you do, not something you study. Coach's note: Watch out for going reverent. Keep it human and a little amused. The turn is 'by somebody's neighbor', which brings the whole thing down to street level. What casting listens for: Casting listens for genuine interest and an invitation people would say yes to.
Mom's Bowl
Fourth of July, deli sidesAdult (30-45)Neutral AmericanTwo narrators (duet)30 secondsabout 36s
Cast: JENPETE
JENOkay, Fourth of July. I'm doing burgers. What are you bringing?
PETEPotato salad.
JENYou're making potato salad.
PETEI'm bringing potato salad.
JENPete. Last year you brought half a bag of chips.
PETEThose were for the drive.
JENSo where's it coming from?
PETEOlsen and Daughters. Two pounds, twelve dollars. Red potatoes, real dill.
JENThat's actually good potato salad.
PETEI'm putting it in Mom's bowl.
JENYou are not.
PETEOlsen and Daughters Deli. Cookout sides by the pound. Order by July third.
Direction: A sister and brother on the phone; she is organized, he is shameless What it is for: Short two-voice comedy. Trains quick pickups and playing status between siblings. Coach's note: Watch out for leaving gaps between lines. Siblings talk right on top of each other. The turn is 'I'm putting it in Mom's bowl', and Pete's last line is the tag, spoken to the listener. What casting listens for: Casting listens for a real family rhythm and product details that slip in naturally.
None of the Ground
Fourth of July, RV rentalAdult (25-40)Midwestern USOne narrator30 secondsabout 30s
Camping on the Fourth of July sounds great until about ten p.m.
That's when you remember the ground is hard, the tent is small, and the nearest bathroom is a flashlight walk away.
Wanderhitch RV Rentals. A real bed. A real fridge. Air conditioning. And yes, a door that locks.
Holiday weekend rentals start at one twenty-nine a night, and we'll teach you to park it.
Wanderhitch. All of the campfire. None of the ground.
Direction: Honest and funny, someone who has slept in a tent exactly once What it is for: A conversational pitch with a list of features that each feel like relief. Coach's note: Watch out for listing the features like a brochure. Each one is a small rescue. The turn is 'And yes, a door that locks.' What casting listens for: Casting listens for a natural talker who makes a price sound like good news.
Everybody loves this beach on the Fourth of July.
We'd like to talk about the fifth.
Last year, volunteers picked up two tons of trash here the morning after. Cups. Wrappers. Nine hundred spent sparklers. One folding chair, still open.
So this year, pack a trash bag with the cooler. Fill it before you leave. That's the whole ask.
And if you're up early on the fifth, we meet at the pier at seven. Coffee's on us.
The Gull Point Shoreline Alliance.
Direction: Upbeat and straight, a volunteer who likes people and likes the beach What it is for: A PSA that makes a small ask feel easy, with a number and a comic detail. Coach's note: Watch out for scolding. Nobody listens to a scold. The turn is 'We'd like to talk about the fifth', and 'One folding chair, still open' is your laugh, so leave room for it. What casting listens for: Casting listens for a likeable voice that gets people to actually do it.
My Brother Is Not in This Commercial
Fourth of July, furniture saleAdult (40-55)Neutral AmericanOne narrator60 secondsabout 66s
This is it! The Castellano Brothers Fourth of July Furniture Blowout, four days only, Thursday through Sunday!
Every sofa, every sectional, every recliner in the showroom is marked down, some up to sixty percent off! Three-piece living room sets, starting at seven ninety-nine! Solid wood dining tables with six chairs, eleven ninety-nine! Recliners, two for five hundred! That's right, two!
And it gets better. Pay nothing down and no interest for twenty-four months. Free delivery anywhere in the tri-county area. And we'll haul your old couch away for free.
Now, my brother says these prices are too low. My brother says we're going to lose our shirts.
My brother is not in this commercial.
So come on down! Doors open at eight a.m. Thursday. The first fifty families get a free flag and a hot dog off the grill.
Castellano Brothers Furniture, on Old Mill Road across from the fairgrounds. Four days. Sixty percent. Zero down.
When the fireworks are over, so is the sale!
Direction: Wide-open local hard sell, the owner himself, with one quiet aside in the middle What it is for: A full minute of hard sell. Trains pacing, breath, and keeping a dozen numbers straight. Coach's note: Watch out for starting at ten and having nowhere to go. Begin at seven and build. The turn is 'My brother is not in this commercial', the only quiet line in the spot, and then you come back bigger. What casting listens for: Casting listens for a character with a point of view, not just volume, and for numbers that survive the speed.
The Quiet Hour
Fourth of July, credit unionMature (55+)Neutral AmericanOne narrator60 secondsabout 65s
Before the parade, before the cookout, before anybody lights anything, there's a quiet hour on the Fourth of July.
The flag on the porch isn't moving yet. The street is empty. Somebody down the block is setting out folding chairs for people who won't show up until noon.
That's the part I like.
Because the day isn't really about the noise. It's about the idea that ordinary people get a say. That a town belongs to whoever lives in it. That you can disagree with your neighbor about nearly everything and still save him a seat.
We don't always get it right. We keep at it anyway. That might be the best part of the whole idea.
So today, wave at the floats. Thank the folks who served. Eat too much. Stay for the fireworks.
And tomorrow, we'll all get back to work on it.
Happy Fourth of July, from all of us at Granite Street Credit Union. Your neighbors since nineteen fifty-two.
Direction: Quiet, thoughtful, early-morning voice; talking to one person on a porch What it is for: A reflective brand spot. Trains stillness, thought changes, and earning a big idea with small pictures. Coach's note: Watch out for making a speech. The moment you sound like a podium, it is over. The turn is 'That's the part I like', and from there each idea should arrive as if you just thought of it. What casting listens for: Casting listens for honesty. They want a neighbor thinking out loud, not a narrator being inspiring.
Every Hour of It
Fourth of July, town festivalAdult (25-40)Neutral AmericanOne narrator60 secondsabout 65s
Clear your calendar, Marigold Bay. The Fourth is on a Saturday this year, and we are using every hour of it.
Eight a.m., the pancake breakfast at the firehouse. Five dollars, all you can eat, and yes, the chief is flipping.
Ten o'clock, the parade steps off from the high school and heads down Bay Street. Decorated bikes go first, so get the streamers out.
Noon to five, it's the festival on the green. Live music, a pie contest, a dunk tank with the high school principal in it, and the watermelon seed spitting finals. The record is thirty-one feet. Somebody's grandmother holds it.
Then, at nine fifteen, find a blanket and look toward the water. Twenty-two minutes of fireworks, launched from the barge, with the town band playing along.
It's free. All of it. Parking is at the school, and the shuttle runs all day.
Marigold Bay Fourth Fest. Come early. Stay late. Bring a chair for somebody who forgot theirs.
Direction: Sunny, proud of her town, moving briskly through the day and slowing for the fireworks What it is for: A long event schedule. Trains keeping five time slots distinct and alive. Coach's note: Watch out for reading every time slot the same way. Each one is a new invitation with its own little joke. The turn is 'Then, at nine fifteen', where the pace drops and the picture gets bigger. What casting listens for: Casting listens for variety across the list and a voice that sounds like it will be there.
Still Ice
Fourth of July, coolersAdult (30-45)Neutral AmericanTwo narrators (duet)60 secondsabout 76s
Cast: DANAMIKE
A driveway, the morning of July fourth. A car trunk is open.
DANAOkay. Burgers, buns, potato salad, drinks. Did you get ice?
MIKEI got ice Tuesday.
DANATuesday. It's Friday.
MIKELook in the cooler.
DANAHuh. That's still ice.
MIKEThat is still ice.
DANAIt was ninety degrees in the garage.
MIKENinety-six.
DANAWhy are you smiling like that?
MIKEBecause for eleven years you've said my coolers were a waste of money.
DANAYou own five coolers, Mike.
MIKEI own four coolers and a Coldharbor.
DANAWhat's the difference?
MIKEThree inches of insulation, a gasket seal, and ice that lasts up to five days.
DANAFive days.
MIKEWe could drive to the lake, leave it in the sun all weekend, and the drinks would still be cold on Monday.
DANAWe are not testing that.
MIKEI'm just saying we could.
DANAFine. It's a good cooler. Can we go?
MIKESay it again.
DANAGet in the car.
Tag, to the listener
DANAColdharbor Coolers. Thirty percent off through July fourth. He's going to be like this all weekend.
Direction: A married couple loading the car; quick, overlapping, real. She is practical, he is quietly triumphant What it is for: Two-voice comedy. Trains listening, short lines, and letting your partner get the laugh. Coach's note: Watch out for acting at each other. Talk like people who have had this argument for eleven years. The turn is 'I own four coolers and a Coldharbor', and Dana's last line is the tag, so she drops the scene and speaks to us. What casting listens for: Casting listens for chemistry and timing. The product facts have to sound like bragging, not a brochure.
Don't Act Surprised
Fourth of July, volunteer fire departmentMature (55+)Southern USOne narrator60 secondsabout 67s
Every Fourth of July since nineteen seventy-one, the Oak Fork Volunteer Fire Department has cooked chicken in the parking lot.
Same pits. Same sauce. The recipe is in a coffee can in the chief's truck, and no, you can't see it.
We start the fires at four in the morning. By eleven, the line goes past the feed store. By one, we're sold out, and somebody always acts surprised.
Here's what that chicken paid for last year. New hoses. Two sets of turnout gear. And a radio that works on the far side of the ridge, where it used to go quiet.
Nobody at this station gets a paycheck. We're farmers and teachers and one fella who sells insurance. When your call comes in, we leave our supper and we come.
So on the Fourth, come eat with us. Half a chicken, slaw, a roll and a tea, twelve dollars.
Oak Fork Volunteer Fire Department. Get there before one. I'm telling you now, so don't act surprised.
Direction: Plainspoken and dry, a longtime volunteer who is not used to microphones What it is for: A heartfelt community spot told with humor. Trains moving from funny to sincere and back. Coach's note: Watch out for playing the accent instead of the man. He is proud and he will not say so. The turn is 'Nobody at this station gets a paycheck', where the jokes stop for a moment and the real reason comes out. What casting listens for: Casting listens for a real person with pride under the dry delivery, and a callback that closes the loop.
On Behalf of the Mosquitoes
Fourth of July, bug sprayAnyNeutral AmericanOne narrator60 secondsabout 62s
I'd like to speak on behalf of the mosquitoes.
We love the Fourth of July. We look forward to it all year. You come outside at dusk. You wear shorts. You stand perfectly still for twenty minutes, looking up.
It's a buffet. With a light show.
Last year was our best ever. There was a man in a lawn chair on Birch Street. Sandals. No socks. I won't say what we did, but we still talk about him.
And then somebody brought out Quietdusk.
One spray. No smell, no grease, eight hours. We couldn't find you. We circled the yard like we'd lost our keys. My cousin gave up and bit a garden hose.
So I'm asking you, nicely. This Fourth, leave the Quietdusk on the shelf. Think of the mosquitoes. Think of our families.
No?
Fine.
Quietdusk outdoor repellent. Eight hours of nobody bothering you. Available wherever they are trying to ruin our summer.
Direction: A mosquito spokesperson: polite, wounded, completely serious. Announcer voice only on the last paragraph What it is for: A character read with a full story arc, then a switch to straight announcer for the tag. Coach's note: Watch out for doing a buzzy bug voice. The mosquito is a dignified representative, and the comedy is how reasonable it sounds. The turn is 'And then somebody brought out Quietdusk', where joy becomes grievance. What casting listens for: Casting listens for commitment to the character, a clear break into the tag, and product claims you can still catch.
If It Floats, It's on Sale
Fourth of July, boat dealerAdult (40-55)Southern USOne narrator60 secondsabout 66s
Captain Ray here, and I've got a problem. I've got too many boats!
It's the Captain Ray's Boat Barn Fourth of July Clearance, and every boat on this lot has got to go! Pontoons! Bass boats! Ski boats! Jet skis! If it floats, it's on sale!
Brand-new twenty-foot pontoons, starting at nineteen nine! That's nineteen thousand nine hundred dollars, with the trailer, and I'll throw in the life jackets!
Used fishing boats from forty-nine ninety-five! Financing for everybody, with payments as low as one ninety-nine a month!
Now, I should tell you, I'm not a real captain. I get seasick on a dock. But I know boats, and I know a deal when I'm giving one.
Come by this weekend. We'll have catfish frying, sweet tea pouring, and a free tube with every boat sold, while they last.
Captain Ray's Boat Barn. Highway Forty-One, two miles past the dam. Open Friday, Saturday, and all day on the Fourth.
Summer's half over, friend. Get on the water!
Direction: Loud, happy, a local legend doing his own commercial, with one sheepish confession What it is for: A character hard sell at full length. Trains energy management and reading big prices two ways. Coach's note: Watch out for dropping the character for the numbers. Ray reads prices like he is proud of them. The turn is 'I'm not a real captain', a quick, honest dip before he roars back. What casting listens for: Casting listens for a believable owner and for 'nineteen nine' and 'forty-nine ninety-five' to be unmistakable.
What Goes in the Box
Fourth of July, military care packagesAdult (40-55)Neutral AmericanOne narrator60 secondsabout 64s
Here's what goes in the box.
Beef jerky. Drink mix. Good socks, because they always ask for socks. A paperback. A deck of cards. And one letter, written by hand, from somebody they've never met.
Every summer, volunteers at the Shoebox Brigade pack three thousand of these in a church gym. They go to service members who are spending the Fourth of July a long way from the cookout.
We get notes back sometimes. They don't mention the jerky. They mention the letter. One said, I read it four times. One said, tell the kid who drew the dog that the dog is on my wall.
You don't need to know what to say. Say what you had for dinner. Say who won the game. Say thanks. That's plenty.
Packing day is the last Saturday in June, nine a.m. Bring socks if you can. Bring a pen either way.
The Shoebox Brigade. It's a small box. It's not a small thing.
Direction: Simple, steady, a volunteer explaining how it works; let the notes do the feeling What it is for: A heartfelt nonprofit read at full length. Trains restraint and quoting other people without acting them. Coach's note: Watch out for crying on the quotes. Read the two notes plainly, the way they were written. The turn is 'They don't mention the jerky. They mention the letter.' What casting listens for: Casting listens for honesty and control. If you stay steady, the listener gets to feel it.
Around Two Thirty
Fourth of July, antacidAdult (30-45)Neutral AmericanOne narrator60 secondsabout 62s
A Fourth of July timeline.
Noon. You have one hot dog. Reasonable.
Twelve fifteen. Someone says, there's plenty. You have a second hot dog and a burger. Still fine.
One o'clock. Your aunt's seven-layer dip. You count the layers. You eat all seven.
Two thirty. Ribs. You weren't hungry. That has never stopped you.
Four o'clock. Somebody's kid dares you to enter the pie eating contest. You are a grown adult. You win the pie eating contest.
Five. Corn. Because it's a vegetable.
Nine p.m. The fireworks start. Everyone looks up. You are lying flat on a blanket, not because it's the best view, but because it is the only position available to you.
Settlewell antacid tablets. Fast relief from heartburn and that too-full feeling, in cherry or mint.
Keep a roll in your pocket. Not for now. For around two thirty.
Settlewell. You're going to do it again next year. We'll be here.
Direction: Deadpan narrator reading a timeline of bad decisions with total sympathy What it is for: Escalating comedy over a full minute. Trains building a list without getting louder. Coach's note: Watch out for peaking early. Each time stamp is one notch more defeated, not one notch bigger. The turn is 'You win the pie eating contest', and the product copy that follows should be the first straight thing you say. What casting listens for: Casting listens for a dry build, a clean shift into the product, and a tag with affection.
We've Been Practicing
Fourth of July, community band concertMature (55+)Midwestern USOne narrator60 secondsabout 69s
The Alderbrook Community Band has forty-one members.
A dentist on trumpet. Two sisters on clarinet who haven't missed a rehearsal since the nineties. A retired mail carrier on tuba, and a fifteen-year-old drummer who is better than all of us and knows it.
We are not professionals. We want to be clear about that.
But every Fourth of July, at seven o'clock, we set up in the bandstand at Alderbrook Park, and something happens. The marches come out right. The piccolo hits the high part. People who came for the fireworks sit down on the grass and stay for the music.
Near the end, we play the armed forces medley, and we ask the veterans to stand when they hear their song. Every year there are a few more empty spots. Every year the applause gets louder to make up for it.
The concert is free. Bring a blanket. The fireworks start when we finish, or when we run out of breath.
The Alderbrook Community Band. July fourth. Seven o'clock. We've been practicing.
Direction: Modest, funny, proud underneath; a band member, not an announcer What it is for: A warm long-form community read that moves from humor to feeling and back to humor. Coach's note: Watch out for leaning on the veterans paragraph. Say it simply and keep moving. The turn is 'and something happens', where the self-teasing stops and she means it. What casting listens for: Casting listens for a real person with a sense of humor who can carry one sincere moment without milking it.
Questions
When do Fourth of July commercials get recorded?
Weeks ahead of the holiday. Practise these in the spring so the reads are ready.
How do I do a sale read without shouting?
Keep the energy up and the volume level. Hit the offer and the end date, and let the rest run quick and light.
Can I use these scripts in a demo or a social video?
Yes. They are written by us with made-up brand names, and they are free to practice with, record and post.
Reading alone only gets you so far
Members bring scripts like these to class every week and get feedback on the spot, from working coaches.
Use these freely. Every script here was written by VO Journey Academy.
Practice with them, record them, post them as demos, reels or social clips, and use them in auditions.
Please do not resell them or publish them as your own scripts. A credit is always welcome, never required.