Local Filmmakers Looking To Win Super Bowl Ad Contest

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- Super Bowl advertisements are famously expensive, but three local filmmakers have a chance to crash the party for just a few hundred bucks.

Michael Yaremchuk, Eric Strum and Erik Sudheimer are among 35 finalists in a contest put on by Chevrolet. The winner's ad will air on Super Bowl Sunday.

"We're up against agencies and people that have spent millions and millions of dollars to do this and we pulled it off with a squirrel suit, a fog machine and a rock band," said Yaremchuk.

The squirrel suit accounted for about 20 percent of their $250 budget, but it was essential to the commercial's concept.

"Everybody has that grandpa or grandma or crazy uncle that has this thing about squirrels," said Sturm. "So, you look at it and you go 'I know that person!'"

The guys admitted the commercial is a little different, but that's part of the idea.

"You put a typical commercial on during the Super Bowl and you're just going to glaze right over. Not going to pay attention. This commercial makes you take a second look. It has that 'what the?' factor," said Sudheimer.

As for the other star of the spot – the Chevy – well that was just good timing.

"That is my car. The funny thing is I bought that car about two weeks before we learned about the competition," said Sturm. "So, Michael sent the link and I'm like 'I've got a Chevrolet!'"

Sudheimer knows he and his friends are up against some stiff competition, but he's got a half-serious reason on why you should vote for his video.

"The way we look at it is, any other video that you watch, besides our homegrown Minnesota video, you're sending jobs out of state," said Sudheimer.