Seattle plans to launch a new marketing campaign to showcase the city as an ideal setting for television commercials.
Sure, we get more rain than Los Angeles, but it’s also about 30 percent cheaper to shoot a commercial in Seattle. And does L.A. have volcanoes? I don’t think so.
"You can get to the mountains. You can get to a rainforest. You can find beaches," says George Riddell, who produces commercials through his Seattle-based company Big House.
Riddell's works include a web video he created for Microsoft featuring a woman aboard the South Lake Union streetcar.
Riddell says the city not only has its beauty, but also boasts great amenities like popular hotels and nightlife that are known to draw production companies.
“All those things weigh into it. They all factor into decisions that production companies might make. And it’s something that I think Seattle can really offer,” he said.
The city's Office of Film and Music says ad agency revenue is growing even in this lackluster economy. And Seattle production companies have expertise that’s in demand right now — in digital and mobile media.
