So I've noticed lately that the TV commercials for Mattress World have been absent of the guy with the beard that always says "If we can't beat the price on any mattress, then the mattress is free". I've also noticed that the woman is looking thinner and tanner than normal. Any coincidence???

The Mrs and I laughed every time they came on. Not everybody is a cool as Carpet Carl! (j/k)

Anyway, they musta stumbled over a first-year PR student or something.

divorced

Naw, I heard that the little kid that goes "shhhhhhhhh" has grown up and capped the old man for making him look like a moron for 20 years.
The kid is currently in a group home in Wasco.

We were talking about them just the other day and wondering if the little tyke on the mattress has graduated from college yet?

Radioboy25 nailed it.

I'd hit it.

Are those people on the ads even local?

Herb

I also have noticed that she's slimmer and dressing more hip.

The statement "If we can't beat the price on any mattress, then the mattress is free" is ridiculous. Are people really dumb enough to think that they'd give you a free mattress instead of just beating the price of the competition? I also never understood why they say "our hard to find locations will save you money". Why advertise that your stores are "hard to find", when in fact they are not hard to find at all.

Some local publication or organization had her on a recent list of top 25 most influental business women in Portland.

Next time you see the TV ad look at the boys' left hand as it fold back in a limp wrist position after the "Shhhhh". You'll never watch that spot again the same as before.

I got the full scoop!
Mr and Mrs. Matress world got a divorce. Why did they get a divorce??

Mrs. Matress World told Mr. Matress World to shave that nasty huge beard he was growing.
It was either the beard goes, OR she goes. It looks like the beard won. A very sad situation.
Its a good thing he is no longer in those commercials! Last time I saw him in those commercials, I spotted a few korn kernals in his beard.

Carpet Carl -- that man gives me the creeps. Along with the young woman from City Liquidators, she fails the spokesmodel test.

I joke with friends that the Mattress World kids are now in their late teens, smoking weed in their mom's rumpus room, playing video games, causing all sorts of shenanigans.

Haze Barnard from that mortgage co is very creepy.

The woman from City Liquidators is the wife of the owner. Therefore, she passes the spokesmodel test.

The one that looks like John McCain's wife?

Herb - yes, they are local. He actually works in the stores, at least he did seven years ago.

My ex-wife and I bought a bed set from him at the Jantzen Beach store, right after it opened. We were actually quite impressed with the service and free delivery, they had to hoist it up over a balcony and through a second-story outside door to get it into the room and they did it without hesitation. I recall they started their TV ads soon after that, my ex sees him and says, "Hey, that's the guy that sold us our set!"

She's his wife; she looks 15 year old? I think she's even wearing braces.

My mistake. I retract what I earlier wrote. The woman you are referring to is City Liquidator's owner Walt Pallet's daughter. His wife and his two daughters appeared in the company's TV ads for several years.

They got divorced? I'm sad to hear they've broken the bond of holy mattressmony.

That's mattress-MONEY

Is it true Mattress World is moving into the ole Rock N Roll Cafe?

Why fry a mattress anywhere else?

"If we can't beat their price, we'll throw in a burger FREE!"

On a related note: What happened to the cute spokesmodel that used to do the Sleep Country ads? The new (supposed) look-alike reminds me more of Wendie Malik ("Nina Van Horn" from "Just Shoot Me"), and seems really forced and artificial; kind of like somebody off-camera is holding a gun to her dog's head.

Mick I can't stand the new sleep Country woman either The last one was way cute..

and I think the Mattress world mom is a Milf

"Is it true Mattress World is moving into the ole Rock N Roll Cafe?"

Based on the success of the R&R Cafe, it fits their criteria of being at a "hard to find location".

I never though Dr. Crane's radio show producer was cute, but hey, that's just me. The Mattress World lady, well, lets just say she has the perfect face for radio.

As for the promise: "if you can find a comparable mattress for less, the mattress is free" claim....

Clark Howard addressed this specific claim (that many stores make) a few years ago. Most major mattress manufacturers will put tailor-made model numbers on mattresses that are specifically numbered (or named) for individual retailers. So if you find (for example) a "Sealy model #1202 at Mattress World for $199, don't even try to shop-around for a "Sealy #1202" anywhere else, because you won't find it anywhere else. It will be called by another model number at another retailer, hence there's no basis for trying to make a price comparison.

A little shady, but a savvy way of being able to make a "lowest price" boast.

PS: I also miss the previous gal who did the Sleep Country USA spots. The new spokesperson seems a bit forced and uncomfortable in the role.

It's always a bit of a shock to see a spokesperson change. Though it happens a lot. Sometimes the company gets a new dept. head of marketing and advertising and they want to impress their new boss with some kind of change to justify the 6 figure salary.

The spokesperson for Verizon "Can you hear my now" dude, who speaks very little in most of the current commercials has a nice gig. 6 figures for sure.

The PC Vs Mac guys have really been a great hit. So much so you can go on line to apple.com and see all of them. The actor who plays PC has really developed his character well especially with the new spots.

My wife and I have been with Standard TV and Appliance for 19 years. However in the past 6-7 years Bill Schonely is the face and voice of Standard and rightly so. We're just those "other" voices. However "other" pays pretty good.

Sorry...did kind of a mini hijack.

Chris-

You and Barb are perfect for Standard TV & Appliance. You both have friendly upbeat voices that are very relatable. And of course, Mr. Schonely is a Portland legend. Mr. Gander is indeed wise to have all three of you promoting his fine firm.

Herb

Well thanks Herb. It's been a real good run and we hope it continues.

Recently I installed a coat hook for the Schonz's jacket. He was always having to find a place to put his jacket when he came over to the studio. I kept telling him, "one of these days Schonz you're gonna get your own personal coat hook."

So I finally got a gold one and put it up and found a headline from a newspaper article with his nickname "Schonz" and put it above the hook.

Schonz is a total pro and deserves to be in the Broadcasting Hall of Fame.

When Bill Gander got Schonz to come on board it was one of the smartest marketing moves that Standard made.

One other thing and I'm not kissing up...Barb sounds young, like she's in her 20's.

That's both the truth and terrific for appealing to lady appliance buyers, an undeniably great demographic.

Herb

Herb, I agree about Mrs. T, but puhleeze; "lady appliance buyers"? Huh?

And Herb, while I had no idea that you were a demographic expert, I wonder if you are aware that there are newer models of clothes washers that actually use electricty? You might want to ask your wife if she'd like to get rid of the wringer!

I miss the original Maytag Repair Man. The new guy rubs (and rinses) me the wrong way.

Women, ladies, girls, females.

I call 'em as I see 'em.

Deal with it.

Herb

Both Barb and my voices seem to have a younger quality. The Standard spots play into what we call our "friendly announcer" style.

Barb is quite versatile and can do many types of reads. However her upbeat friendly reads on Standard and the Les Schwab radio commercials are certainly her more bubbly sound.

We do plenty of voice work for what is known as non-broadcast narration work. Multimedia presentations, kiosks, power-point presentations, trade show booths, training video's, message on hold and loads of other stuff too.

Yours truly just cut a 15 second commercial for Game Crazy that will be featured in movie theater's all over the US as part of the previews/commercials prior to the beginning of a movie. Pretty cool eh? I ended up doing a 10 sec voice over for a large Christian youth gathering in Houston, TX where my voice was heard by some 250,000 youth on about 8 Jumbo Trons for a church web site.

So as you can see we find ourselves doing all sorts of voice work using different styles. And let me tell you it is soooooo much fun. It beats working for a living.

Of course there's our daily morning radio show we voice track too.

Okay my apologies. You got me monologing about my wife and our work...two of my greatest passions.

Hey Chris that 15 second commercial for game crazy that will be featured in theaters all over the US is AWESOME! That is really cool, and exciting. The only problem Chris is that you never go to the movies. I think you you need to live dangerously and actually go the movies one day. Take the wife and Kids to the new Indiana Jones movie. Im going to be listening for your voice on the Theater the next time I go to the movies!

I heard the guy that does the voice announcing for the movie trailer previews before the movies is a multi millionaire. I also head that he was an average joe working at a factory making crappy money, when a freind told him that he should use his great voice to make money. Well, a few years later he started voicing the movie trailor and now he is a multi millionare. Try to steal his job Chris!!! Sometimes I think being at the right place at the right time MEANS EVERYTHING!!! I think the guy who voices the Movie trailors was at the right place at the right time, It was all luck.

You're probably thinking of Don Lafontaine (sp?). "In a world..."

Great set of pipes and really knows how to use them. I've had guys in my studio who are novices. They have been told they have great voices, but when you put a microphone in front of them the just can't seem to transfer it over. I often suggest taking classes and give them my 3-point suggestions. But to be honest I rarely ever hear from them.

Today you no longer need that "Voice of God." It would be nice if I could have it for one year. Knowing how to communicate, knowing how to phrase a line, showcase important elements in a script takes practice like anything else.

The people who voice for the Simpson’s are all making huge money. My wife and I are making good money and we get to live in Portland. But do get asked to record our voices that play in other parts of the world.

I haven't heard when the Game Crazy commercial will hit theaters. It will be time sensitive because it's talking about some new summertime releases. If this works out maybe I'll be getting some other theater commercial type gigs.

I'll need to get to a new movie or two this summer for sure. My 12-year-old son saw the new Indiana Jones movie with some friends of his, but I have not. And here it is nearly 9:30pm on Saturday night and where am I???

Chris, when you came by to speak to my class, I was hoping we might have the opportunity to talk about what it takes to get into voice work, something I've considered doing for years. My only broadcast booth experience was at KMHD in the early '80s, but since then I've had sporadic opportunities to put my voice on projects, occasionally for others but usually stuff I've produced in-house for the school. Like you said, it's a blast when you get it just right (and a fun challenge finding the right sound). Add in the fun of editing and I can understand why you are so satisfied with what you do for a living.

Anyway, if you have any tips for someone who may be ready to step up and give it a shot, please share.

I'll email it to you Ed.

Well since we are pimping ourselves here, I just replaced Lars as the voice of Marquis Spas.
You probably won't hear it in PDX for awhile as Lars is putting up a fight and won't allow it on HIS show, but I am in the Socal market for their new stores and do the Salem to Eugene spots.
"My wife _____ and I just love our Marquis Spa....etc".
The difference is: I am not a fat blowhard. Just a skinny blowhard. Less water used.

Very cool Dodger. More power to ya!!

Thanks, Chris

Hey Dodger I heard that spot today on 1340 and could swear it was Still Lars doing it 6/2/08

Thanks Chris, I hope it becomes a long term deal.
Pdxbg: I think the contract has his spot running through June, then it is done.
You should start hearing mine taking it's place slowly this month.
I also do any special sales, ie: Memorial Day, July 4, Factory Sale etc.
Was it 1340 or 1430 you heard it on?

It's funny how threads here seem to stray way off the topic. I've done a little investigation as I was interested who the couple are. She is Sherri Hiner and is actually the founder and brains of the operation. He is John Hiner and apparently they are sleeping on different mattresses these days. Here is a thread in another discussion form.

http://bojack.org/2008/03/i_cant_sleep_like_a_baby.html

Hijacks of threads are nothing new. Sometimes the direction they take is not so bad.

It's always sad when a couple goes through a divorce or difficult time. It's a deeply personal and painful thing. What makes it harder is when that couple is in the public eye.

It was 1340 Dodger it was during the tail end of lars' show

"What makes it harder is when that couple is in the public eye."

That's true, but these people, against conventional wisdom, put themselves in the public eye by being spokespersons for their own products. Clearly Mattress World would have benefited from professional spokespersons or actors, but I'm thinking egos got in the way. Not that having an ego is a bad thing -- it probably gave them drive to succeed in business -- but when one puts their face in the public eye, the laundry is likely to follow. Just ask Scott Thomason!

Look at what happened to Tom Peterson. I'm not sure if it was ego or just bad judgment that he bought Stereo Super Stores. His business prior to the Stereo Super Stores purchase seemed to be in pretty good shape. He certainly was a celebrity in Portland with a genuine following. I can remember newspaper articles and even a segment on a television program touting him and his business in Portland. My favorite promotion was the free haircut. But when things went south, he fell rather quickly. But with the help of his wife Gloria, things seemed to improve. I’m not sure where things stand today, but you see the two of them pitching for their store on 82nd. I’m sure they’re not where they were during the height of Portland Wrestling fame or “Wake up, wake up”, but he’s still a fixture.

Nice one Skeptical, almost forgot about the Scott Thomason fiasco.

Talpdx, good call on Tom Peterson! I thought the same thing growing up with him in the early days. He was ALWAYS great to have on the show, as he was just down right Tom! Yes, the old late night, "wake up, wake up" was a kicker!

I was told that Tom Peterson would come into the KPDQ studios to cut his commercials. He had no script and would ask the production person to start the clock when he starts to talk.

He would nail it everytime and then leave.

It's great to have a multi-talented business owner/advertiser...makes our production jobs alot easier...had a few of those clients over the years and then the ones that wants to talk about stuff and then have a thousand edits/post prod.

True Dan and most of them were long winded pastors sorry to say.

LOL...a funny thing...some pastors can talk
"perfectly" behind the pulpit but read a :60 spot...not!...but hey switch jobs...I'd goof up lots with live people watchin.

This morning, I saw the two "Mattress World" kids all grown up (sort of). It was part of their BIG, BETTER, BEST sale. Once Sherri Hiner was done promoting this most recent Mattress World sale, her two boys were on screen. But it wasn't the canned video of past. Rather the two boys, one clearly in his teens and the other no longer a baby. It was funny.

I caught that as well. There was no mistaking the faces of those kids, as their features hadn't changed much since back-when.

Once in the 80s we produced Tom Peterson commercials at KYTE...a 24 hour sale with a different ad running each hour....and as I recall....someone went to his office and recorded them on cassette (!)...and yes one take on all of them..not sure if he had a script...

I do recall the dubbing for other stations was a big pain....happy to press "click" and "send" now.

I went to school with one of the Hiners... won't say which...

The kids are probably in high school and middle school at this point - really couldn't be recognized on the street and are half siblings.

Divorce IS what happened. She came up with a lame story on Nelson and Terry a few weeks ago about how he wanted to retire at 30 and she made him work until 39. He's 40-41 now and either on the golf course or sluggin down a few. I think she got tired of it and said "we're done". The business belonged to her family or something like that to begin with. He just simply tagged along. His mother is a successful realtor in Clackamas County. He never really was part of the success of Mattress World.

Anywho....