Farmington Actors, Businesses Star in 5 Hour Energy Commercial

Take two nuns, a lady pushing a stroller, a mailman, a baker carrying a massive wedding cake, add a video camera, and you've got a typical night in downtown Farmington. 

Well, not really. 

But it was lights, camera, action Wednesday night, as Michigan-based production companies taped a commercial in and around local businesses. 

WW Productions and CTC Productions used Sunflour Bakehaus, Off the Beaten Path Bookstore and Emporium and the Farmington Civic Theater for "Good Deeds", a spot that introduces a new 5 Hour Energy flavor. Sales of the raspberry energy shot will benefit Philadelphia-based Living Beyond Breast Cancer, producer William Wegert said. 

Wegert said he chose Farmington because he was looking for "an old-style theater". When he checked out the Civic, he found the storefront he needed at Sunflour Bakehaus–and a community that made the crew feel more than welcome. 

"The city has been really supportive," he said.

Off the Beaten Path lent part of its space for use as a "green room" for the crew. Actors included Farmington Hills residents and Bakehaus proprietors Becky Burns and Jeff Pavlik. Burns said she was pulled into the production at the last minute. 

"It was method acting, I played the bakery owner behind the counter," she said.

Pavlik, tasked with carrying the heavy prop wedding cake out the door at high speed, said he gave 5 Hour Energy a try before filming. "It tastes like Sweet-Tarts," he said. "It's good stuff." 

As an added bonus, the couple's daughter, Rosie, convinced the nuns to sing for her. Unfortunately, she said, "They didn't really know any 'Sound of Music' songs."

Carl Sperber, creative director for Farmington Hills-based Living Essentials, which makes 5 Hour Energy, said the company also released a special flavor last October, which is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. The promotion raised $375,000 for the Avon Foundation for Women Breast Cancer Crusade.

"We hope to raise even more this year," Sperber said. 

The flavor will be released in October and sales will continue through December, he added.

For more information about Living Beyond Breast Cancer, visit www.lbbc.org. Learn more about Living Essentials and 5 Hour Energy on the company's website.