Lights, camera, LT
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Wednesday, May 14, 2008
By Casey Pearce, Chargers.com
LaDainian Tomlinson’s accomplishments on the football field have opened numerous doors for him away from the gridiron, and the two-time reigning NFL rushing champion has recently received several opportunities to indulge in a hobby he’s grown to enjoy.
Joined by several members of the local media, Tomlinson filmed a commercial for Palomar Pomerado Health in the Qualcomm Stadium locker room Tuesday. Last week, he spent some time in Los Angeles shooting a spot for Campbell’s Chunky Soup. He also appeared in a national Nike advertisement earlier this offseason and is scheduled to be part of a Vizio commercial in coming weeks.
“I really enjoy doing these things,” Tomlinson said. “It’s fun and it gives me a chance to do something different. I can just have fun and be myself with it. I’m not trying to be an actor. Football is number one. It’s just something I can do and I enjoy doing them.”
Last summer, LT signed a five-year partnership with Palomar Pomerado Health to serve as a spokesman for the company. Tuesday’s shoot is designed to shed light on the battle with heart disease. The spot will begin airing during the U.S. Open and will run throughout football season.
“We’re hoping to create awareness for PPH and the capital campaign that we’re about to kick off,” said PPH Chief Marketing Officer Gustavo Friederichsen. “It’s a $55 million capital campaign for the health system. Every year we’ll pick a different health disease. This year it’s heart disease. Next year it’s probably going to be childhood obesity. In the future we’ll focus on diabetes and stroke.”
Tomlinson has enjoyed the relationship with PPH because he feels a personal connection with the company’s goals and objectives.
“I’ve been affected by so many things they’re focusing on: heart disease, diabetes, stroke,” Tomlinson said. “My family has been affected by those. For me to help partner together and raise awareness, that was perfect for me. I know how it is for someone to have diabetes and lose their legs. I know how it is to have someone you love suffer a stroke.”
Actual filming of the commercial took around three hours, but partially due to LT’s talent and flexibility, there weren’t a ton of retakes necessary.
“LT is a dream to work with,” said Bob Weast, who produced and directed Tuesday’s shoot. “He does whatever you ask him and he does it real well, just like he does on the field.”
Actual filming of the commercial took around three hours, but partially due to LT’s talent and flexibility, there weren’t a ton of retakes necessary.
“LT is a dream to work with,” said Bob Weast, who produced and directed Tuesday’s shoot. “He does whatever you ask him and he does it real well, just like he does on the field.”
Friederichsen was on hand for the entire process and was equally impressed with LT’s performance.
“It doesn’t feel like we’re dealing with a superstar,” Friederichsen said. “He’s so easy to work with.”
Tomlinson said patience is his biggest challenge when on set because of the multiple breaks the crew must take to reposition lighting and cameras. However, it’s all worth it once he turns on his TV and gets a chance to review his work.
“It’s pretty gratifying,” Tomlinson said. “You know how the scenes went. You know how long it took and how much work there was involved by a lot of people. When you see the final product, that’s when you can sit back and stick your chest out.”
Ben Liebenberg, Courtesy Chunky Soup
This offseason, LaDainian Tomlinson continues to be one of the country’s most-sought-after spokespersons. On Tuesday, he spent the day filming a commercial for Palomar Pomerado Health.
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