Travel Michigan filming in Northeast Michigan

The Old Presque Isle Lighthouse and other familiar sights of Northeast Michigan may be featured in new tourism advertisements next year across the state and surrounding states.

Travel Michigan, a section of the Michigan Economic Development Corp., is in the process of filming warm weather footage in different locations, from Oscoda to southern Presque Isle County, for its Pure Michigan branding campaign. The film crew began shooting footage Thursday of the AuSable River and, depending on the weather, will wrap up Tuesday with aerial shots, said Kirsten Borgstrom, Travel Michigan spokesperson.

"We've planned five full days of activities, everything from sand dunes, to tubing on the river, swimming, kayaking, fishing, state parks, just general playing in the water and on the beach," she said. "The Northeast Michigan section of the state seemed like the perfect fit for the footage we're looking for and would round out the footage we have for the Pure Michigan brand."

Borgstrom said the footage is being shot by a film crew contracted through Travel Michigan's advertising agency, McCann Ericksen. Travel Michigan staff members will accompany crews through the week. The crews plan to stop at places such as Harrisville State Park, Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary's Maritime Heritage Center and various golf courses.

"Northeast Michigan offers so many of the recreational activities that Michigan is known for. It made sense for us to come to Northeast Michigan this week," she said.

The crew seeks activities through visiting the various locations. The locations were selected through a culmination of brainstorming by Travel Michigan staff and information provided by local organizations, including convention and visitors bureaus and chambers of commerce, Borgstrom said.

The week of filming will cost Travel Michigan about $500,000. After all of the footage has been taken, some will be used for different visual forms of advertising including television commercials, billboards and pictures on Travel Michigan's Web site at www.michigan.org.

"We'll be creating a national Pure Michigan campaign that we're launching in 2009. They'll be mixed in with other images of the state," she said.

Patty Ramus can be reached via e-mail at pramus@thealpenanews.com or by phone at 358-5687.