For the week of Sept 25 - Oct 1, 2002

‘Like a Rock’ 
likes our rocks

Chevy returns to valley 
for second ad campaign

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"You can’t duplicate these mountains 
on a sound stage."

— MARIA PREKEGES, Campaign coordinator

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By GREGORY FOLEY
Express Staff Writer

Drawn by authentic Western ranches, rugged alpine beauty and touches of big-city culture, producers of Chevrolet’s newest advertising campaigns have taken a liking to the Wood River Valley.

Crews from Los Angeles-based Blind Faith Productions earlier this month near Bellevue filmed a television commercial for Chevrolet to promote its Suburban sport-utility vehicle nationwide. Chevrolet crews will return to the valley this weekend to shoot two ads for a new campaign that will feature numerous locals. The company has invited the public to serve as extras in a photo shoot scheduled for 3 p.m. Saturday at the Hailey Rodeo Grounds. Courtesy photo

Film crews from Blind Faith Productions, a television and film-production company based in Los Angeles, for four consecutive days starting Friday, Sept. 27, will shoot footage for a new campaign to promote Chevrolet trucks on televisions nationwide.

The filming will begin on a ranch near Bellevue Friday, and will continue in central Hailey on Saturday. Crews will venture north to Stanley Sunday and Monday to shoot footage using the scenic Sawtooth Mountains as the primary backdrop.

And, in a move seldom seen when Hollywood crews venture out to shoot on location, the local public has been invited to join in some of the action.

Maria Prekeges, local coordinator for Blind Faith, announced Monday that the company is seeking some 1,000 locals to serve as extras in a film shoot scheduled for Saturday, Sept. 27, at 3 p.m. at the Hailey Rodeo Grounds.

Prekeges said the event will offer participants an opportunity to "get a good look at how a commercial is staged," and will also entertain them with a small-scale rodeo that will feature bull riding and team roping displays.

The choice by Blind Faith to use the Wood River Valley as its staging area for two new commercial spots for the campaign was an easy one, Prekeges said.

"Blind Faith shot footage a couple of weeks ago for a Chevy Suburban commercial at a ranch south of Bellevue," she said. "It went so well and everyone liked it here so much, the team decided to come back to do the new truck commercials."

Blind Faith has been hired to produce the Chevrolet ads by the auto-maker’s advertising agency, Campbell-Ewald, based in Detroit.

In making the choice to return to the Wood River Valley, Blind Faith and Campbell-Ewald ruled out several other potential filming locations in Wyoming, Colorado and other parts of Idaho.

Prekeges said that employees of both companies were particularly drawn to the area because it offers a unique combination of natural beauty, accessibility and hospitality. "They really liked the feel of the towns," she added.

Talent scouts have combed the region for weeks looking for prospective actors, and most of the film-team members arrived in the Ketchum area on Monday. Certainly, with the tourist economy down significantly from .previous years, many merchants will welcome the boost in business provided by the off-season influx of Chevy affiliates.

Film crews over the course of the four days plan to shoot footage for two commercials for Chevrolet’s "Big Boots" campaign. In separate 30-second and 60-second ads, the campaign will aim to show that Chevy trucks are durable and rugged—images easily fashioned in the Wood River Valley’s rugged landscape.

"You can’t duplicate these mountains on a sound stage," Prekeges said.

The ads will not promote a specific Chevy truck, but will instead employ a father-and-son team and a 1964 Chevy pickup to conjure up images suggesting that the vehicles last for generations—an ongoing theme of Chevrolet’s "Like a Rock" campaign that has persevered for years.

The central cast members of the ads are local products, Prekeges said. "The team wanted to cast locally. They’re really aiming for authenticity."

Real-life father and son Jim and Keyser Stoddard of Rexburg have been chosen as the principal actors. Employees of P&P Rodeo of Mackay will provide and handle the livestock for Saturday’s film shoot.

While the primary players have been chosen, several locals could be selected from the 1,000 or so anticipated extras for the Hailey film shoot to serve in more prominent roles during the staged rodeo, Prekeges said.

Prekeges noted that participants should wear cowboy hats and Western-style attire, and are encouraged to bring cushions, blankets and chairs to help establish an authentic scene.

Door prizes, including gift certificates for local businesses, will be awarded to some participants.

 

The Idaho Mountain Express is distributed free to residents and guests throughout the Sun Valley, Idaho resort area community. Subscribers to the Idaho Mountain Express will read these stories and others in this week's issue.