‘DEWmocracy' in action

New Mountain Dew commercial features Monroe woman and a plug for the Town of Monroe, By Nancy Kriz MONROE - Keeping within the spirit of Election Day next Tuesday, Mountain Dew has announced the results of a vote picking the newest flavor in its soft drink family on its Web site, www.DEWmocracy.com, and has launched an advertising campaign about it featuring a Monroe woman. Proclaiming its new “White Out” flavor was chosen “by the people, for the people,” Mountain Dew’s latest entry in the crowded world of nonalcoholic, and generally carbonated, flavored, and sweetened, water-based beverages, includes an appearance by Monroe resident Michelle Clark. Clark, a promotional tour manager and a 2003 graduate of Monroe-Woodbury High School, was part of a four-member Mountain Dew team which spent 31 days in the nation’s Northwest and Great Plains states this past spring touting how great “White Out” is and asking people to vote for it on the Web site. The fizz to win “White Out” (a “smooth citrus” blend some have likened to Fresca or Squirt) competed against two other proposed Mountain Dew flavors: “Typhoon” (a strawberry/pineapple blend); and “Distortion” (a “lime blasted” blend). The competing teams were positioned in other areas of the country, hoping to garner a win for their proposed new Mountain Dew flavor. But like flat soda, their campaigns didn’t have enough fizz to win. “We were asking the nation to vote for what would be the newest flavor in the Mountain Dew family,” said Clark earlier this week from Chicago, where she was working on a new campaign involving selecting a new diet flavor for Mountain Dew. “It was a blast.” Clark’s team visited thousands of fans in 22 cities in 11 states and involved them in 10 “unique and hilarious” tasks - such as “What would you do for a Dew?” and “DEWmocracy Concert Crash” - designed to promote “White Out.” In total, the “White Out” soft drink received over a million votes, according to the Web site. After voting results determined that “White Out” was the winner, Clark said PepsiCo (which owns Mountain Dew) selected nine people who were considered influential in the campaign to be featured in the commercial. They appear in the television and radio spots hyping how great the new flavor is. “They really made it about the fans,” said Clark, who was picked even though she was a member of the promotion team. “Our fans made it for us. And I knew it was something I couldn’t pass up. It was so cool to be part of that experience.” Look closely The television commercial was shot over the summer in Denver in one 12-hour day. Clark’s portion of the shooting that day took about 30 minutes, though she was onsite for the entire time. “What you see on the commercial is pretty much what we were doing,” said Clark. ”It’s athleticism, it’s energetic, it’s about lifestyle.” The somewhat edgy black and white television commercials (only the “White Out” label is in color) are in both a 30 and 60 second format. Watch the commercial closely. Clark’s appearance is only about two seconds long, in-between the spotlighted guys from Ogden, Utah and Salt Lake City. You’ll see Clark smiling, walking and holding up a bottle of “White Out,” to the camera as her name and hometown are posted on the screen. “Using the hometown names gives a feeling of it being a national thing,” she added. “That, these are our fans, from everywhere.” Ever the promoter, Clark was also quick to plug the product. “It’s in stores here,” she said. “You can get it in two liter bottles and cans.” ‘That’s me’ Clark, a graduate of Northeastern University in Boston, said being in the commercial was like being in a dream. It’s intended to reach the 18 to 35 age demographic and airs on stations like MTV and Spike. “To see the finished product was surreal,” she said. “The first time I saw it on TV, I heard the music and sat up (to take notice). But I was all alone. I said to myself, ‘That’s me. But there’s no one to see me but me.’” However, Clark’s parents - though not necessarily MTV fans - now regularly watch that channel just to get a glimpse of their daughter on television. “My parents now watch MTV daily, just to see it,” said Clark, who spends about 50 to 60 percent of her work time on the road. “They don’t see me a lot. If they watch it, they get to see me more. They tell me my commercial is the most exciting thing on MTV.” And friends and other family members have also made it a point to tell her they’ve seen her on television. “Someone said to me the other day, ‘You’ve put Monroe on the map,’” said Clark, with a laugh. “I said to her, ‘I think Velveeta put Monroe on the map. I put Monroe on TV.’”

Someone said to me the other day, ‘You’ve put Monroe on the map.’ I said to her, ‘I think Velveeta put Monroe on the map. I put Monroe on TV.’” Monroe resident Michelle Clark, speaking about the notoriety afforded to Town of Monroe for being a part of the new Mountain Dew “White Out” commercial.

Watch it
The Mountain Dew commercial featuring Monroe resident Michelle Clark airs on television stations geared to 18 to 35-year-olds, like MTV.To see the commercial directly, visit: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l657LxHbJB0&feature=related or http://www.dewmocracy.com/.