Apple lovers, meet Sun Valley
Computer giant’s holiday ad campaign shot in resort area
By KATHERINE WUTZ
Express Staff Writer
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The cast and crew of Apple computers’ latest holiday ad campaign prepare to shoot at the Roundhouse restaurant on Bald Mountain last April. Though several resorts were in the running to be the location of the ads, which will run over the holidays and into the New Year, Sun Valley’s late-season snow allowed it to nab the spot. Shot locations included downtown Ketchum, Sun Valley Resort and the top of Dollar Mountain. Photo courtesy of Dave ButterfieldIf that looks like Baldy in the background of the latest e-mail from Apple computers, it's because it is.
The shot, which is of a family carrying skis with the famous Baldy façade in the background, was actually shot on the top of Dollar Mountain last April, and is now making an appearance as part of Apple's holiday ad campaign. The campaign is meant to re-create a family vacation in Sun Valley, including horseback riding, skiing and other winter activities.
Competition over the location for Apple's holiday marketing was stiff, said Dave Butterfield, owner of Ketchum-based Diamond Sun Productions, the company that helped produce the shoot. Several Western resorts were in the running as of last spring, and Sun Valley was falling behind.
"We didn't really have perfect snow in April," Butterfield said.
But a late-season wintry spell combined with a few inches of fresh powder led to Apple's choosing Sun Valley over Squaw Valley, near Lake Tahoe in California.
An outdoor film crew invaded Ketchum, shooting at the Country Cousin on Sun Valley Road, around the Sun Valley Village, the Roundhouse restaurant on Bald Mountain and at the mountain's gondola.
The ads are likely to be viewed by a large majority of Mac owners, who receive regular e-mail "blasts" or advertising newsletters that feature shots of the mountain.
"The impressions are well into the millions," Butterfield said. "Imagine how many Mac owners there are."
The still shots have so far only been used in e-mails, but could be used as images on the screens of products such as the iPad or iPhone in television commercials. Apple could not be reached for comment as to possible uses of the photos.
"Whether it becomes part of a larger campaign remains to be seen," Butterfield said.
While there is no question that potentially millions of customers will see Bald Mountain in Apple's marketing, the question remains whether Baldy is recognizable enough to people outside the valley or to non-skiers.
"You have to be a skier to know Baldy," Butterfield said.
Aiding exposure, however, is the fact that "Sun Valley" explicitly appears on a sweatshirt that the family's youngest child is wearing in an iPad shot.
Sent from my iPhone
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