- Ring teams up with Scottish presenter Edith Bowman for its ‘Voice of the Nation’ search launching in Edinburgh’s St James Quarter to find the Scottish voice of its Ring Video Doorbell messages
- It’s the first time Ring will include a member of the public’s voice on its devices
- Launch celebrates the 76% of people from Edinburgh that are proud of how welcoming the Scottish accent sounds, with 44% in UK agreeing it’s one of the friendliest
Ring is on the hunt to find the first ever Scottish voice of its devices. The smart home security company is launching its Voice of the Nation casting search across Scotland in a first for the brand.
Ring is holding auditions at St James Quarter in Edinburgh’s city centre to find one lucky Scot who will record a set of audio messages, called ‘Quick Replies’, that will be available across all Ring Video Doorbells in the UK later this year.
Ring’s Quick Replies are available on all Ring Video Doorbells and act as an answering machine for the door. Once activated, and someone rings the doorbell, the visitor will hear a pre-selected greeting with the option to leave a message.
The search comes as new research from Ring reveals the Scottish accent is one of the most endearing in the UK, with 44% of people agreeing it’s one of the friendliest. Over three quarters (76%) of those from the capital are proud of how welcoming the Scottish accent sounds.
Edinburgh residents can audition by simply sharing a video of themselves saying a popular Ring Doorbell Quick Reply: “We can’t answer the door right now, but if you’d like to leave a message, you can do it now.” and post on TikTok or Instagram, share through their Ring device and Ring app, or attend an in-person audition held at St James Quarter on 31 August and 1 September.
The search will be judged by a panel which will include Scottish radio DJ and television presenter, Edith Bowman, who will help select Ring’s ‘Voice of the Nation’. It’s the first time Ring has worked with a member of the public to voice its Video Doorbell Quick Replies, and the first time a Scottish accent will be heard on Ring Video Doorbells.
Edith Bowman said: “I’m so excited to launch Ring’s ‘Voice of the Nation’, as I am fiercely proud of my accent and the Scottish accent generally. One of the things I love is the variety of regional identities.
“It has beautiful rhythm and personality and each has its own unique tone and quality – something I’m thrilled is being celebrated with Ring’s campaign.
!I can’t wait to judge the entries and would love to see lots of energy and enthusiasm from those auditioning!”
Ring’s recent survey of 2,000 UK consumers also found that Edinburgh locals prefer their own accent to anywhere else in the UK (25%), with almost a quarter feeling this way because it reminded them of home (24%).
If they had the choice of hearing a famous Scot on their smart devices, almost a quarter (24%) of people from Edinburgh would like Billy Connolly, with 16% opting for Ewan McGregor. Almost 15% of Edinburgh residents said David Tennant would be their top choice for voicing their Ring Video Doorbell.
The research also revealed the following opinions:
- Over a third (36%) of Brits said the Scottish accent has calming qualities, and 34% find it attractive.
- Edinburgh locals think their playful cheekiness wins them points, with 65% saying the Scottish accent sounds charming.
- Half of the capital’s residents say the Scottish accent lends itself well to comedians, with over half saying it sounds humorous (53%).
- Of the regional dialects in Scotland, the Lothian accent was voted the favourite accent to voice their smart home tech amongst people from Edinburgh (39%).
Dave Ward, Managing Director EU & International at Ring, said: “Ring’s Quick Replies are a much-loved feature on our Video Doorbells.
“Many customers use them to instruct delivery drivers where to leave packages, or inform visitors they need more time to answer the door.
“Given the importance of these messages, we wanted to ensure our Quick Replies featured familiar and local accents and celebrated regional dialects around the world. We’re thrilled to begin in Scotland and can’t wait to hear a Scot on our Video Doorbells across the nation.”
Auditions will officially open form Wednesday 21st August at 12 pm. Members of the public can share a video of their recorded audition on TikTok by posting their clip with #RingVoiceoftheNation, or on Instagram by sharing and tagging @RingUK alongside #RingVoiceoftheNation.
Those with a Ring device and Ring Protect can enter by recording themselves filming their greeting on a Ring device, pressing the ‘Share’ button on the Ring app and choosing ‘Share with Ring’.
In addition to St James Quarter in Edinburgh on 31 August and 1September from 10am-6pm, Ring’s Voice of the Nation pop-up auditions will visit:
- Union Square in Aberdeen: Saturday 7 September and Sunday 8 September 10am-4pm
- Silverburn Shopping Centre in Glasgow: Saturday 14 September and Sunday 15 September 10am-4pm
For full casting details please, check out this Ring blog.