Ads starring the Fonz help keep TV work in Michigan
The Fonz was finishing up work in Birmingham on Monday when he shared his thoughts about metro Detroit.
"It's always treated me like a family member," said TV icon Henry Winkler, best-known for his role on "Happy Days." He was in Birmingham to do TV commercials for One Reverse Mortgage, a sister company of Quicken Loans.
The cameras also will be rolling this week on TV ads for Quicken Loans with former "Daily Show" correspondent Brian Unger. Today's location will be Coach Insignia restaurant on top of the Renaissance Center in downtown Detroit.
It all fits into Quicken Loans' focus on keeping work in Michigan whenever possible, according to Jay Farner, chief marketing officer and president of Quicken Loans.
And the RenCen seems an apt place to film, since Quicken founder Dan Gilbert has emerged as a key booster of Detroit's potential renaissance by moving employees downtown, snapping up buildings in the area and envisioning new retail and residential opportunities for the city.
The local ties to the commercials extend beyond locations. Livonia-based Exxodus Pictures, the company behind the upcoming supernatural thriller "Jinn," is making the ads. The director is Ajmal Zaheer Ahmad of Exxodus, who also helmed the made-in-Michigan "Jinn."
"The way we look at it, we'd rather support local businesses and help them grow," said Farner.
Unger's ads will have a humorous spin and are expected to begin airing in September.
Winkler's new spots for One Reverse Mortgage, a company that allows seniors older than 62 to tap home equity, filmed at a private home in Birmingham. They take a friendly, informational approach, according to Farner. They'll probably debut in August.
Both spots will air nationwide.
Winkler, who was in the area early this year to do another One Reverse Mortgage ad, is busy promoting his new book about fly-fishing, "I've Never Met an Idiot on the River" ($21.95, Insight Editions). He declared enthusiastically that he's "completely interested" in visiting Michigan for the sport.
"I hear about how unbelievable the fishing is here, especially in the Upper Peninsula," Winkler said.
Contact Julie Hinds: 313-222-6427 or jhinds@freepress.com
