(NAPSA)—An Emmy Awardis something you’d expect to see when Jennifer Aniston or Candice Bergen invites you for dinner, not when you're dropping into a welcome center in Tennessee’s Great Smoky Mountains. A genuine Emmy Award, however, is at the one in Pigeon Forge, Tenn., a gateway community to Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Local “celebrities” such as banker Mary Brown, restaurateur Kelly Johnson and city employee Larry Gillespie—along with two cute-as-a-button little girls—are the reasons. So how did residents—almost a hundred were involved—help Pigeon Forge claim an Emmy, television’s top honor? They starred in a series of tourism television commercials and got to say in their own words what they like about their hometown. The “Welcome to My Pigeon Forge” campaign won an Emmy from the Nashville/Midsouth Chapter of the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences in the commercial campaigns category. Thetwolittle girls, Kylie Loveday and Rylie Patterson, who were 8 and 7, respectively, when the commercials were shot, epitomize the campaign. Their commercial is a favorite because of Kylie’s youthful testimonial: “You get to do fun stuff here.” If she’d been scripted, she might have talked about Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Dollywood, magic shows, go-karts and thrill rides—but her “fun stuff’ commentreally told it all. The award technically went to the campaign creator at Pigeon Forge’s advertising agency, Bohan Advertising/Marketing in Nashville, but the agency’s chairmanis quick to credit the Pigeon Forge residents. “The theme gave residents a Delighted youngsters Kylie Love- day and Rylie Patterson showoff their town’s Emmy Award. forum to say what they like about their city and to extend the hand of hospitality. Their comments were powerful because they were unscripted and sincere. They clearly show how much Pigeon Forge welcomes its tourist visi- tors,” David Bohan said. Pigeon Forge has a resident population of about 5,400, but its annual visitor total is approximately 11 million. The final ads produced for the campaign featured more than two dozen residents. Many appeared in the TV spots, others were in radio spots and others were used in printed pieces such as magazine advertisements andposters. The TV commercials in particular made stars out of people who normally aren’t in the spotlight. “The Emmy Award is universally recognized as television’s highest honor. Anyone who has won this award is an outstanding creator of broadcast work,” said Geneva Brignolo, the chapter’s executive director. Information about the “fun stuff is available online at www. MyPigeonForge.com or from (800) 251-9100.
