Imagine you are on Spring Break in sunny Cancun, Mexico. You might expect to have the typical spring break experience of going to clubs, partying and a getting a tan. Winning a contest for Music Television (MTV) to star in a national commercial, getting VIP treatment wherever you went, staying an extra night and getting flown home all on MTV’s expense probably is not something that would realistically happen. However, that is exactly the experience for one lucky spring breaker, Krista Gallo, who just so happens to be a 19-year-old sophomore at West Chester University. Producers for the new “Ice Breaker Sours” were hosting an open-casting call in Cancun during Gallo’s stay. Seeing the cameramen and a large crowd of college kids, Gallo couldn’t help but wonder what was going on and she went over to check it out. The next thing she knew one of the directors approached her about if she was interested in trying out for the commercial. She grabbed a guy who she had never met before and asked him to pretend like they were a couple. Gallo and her partner, Josh Lanni of Smithfield, RI, won the spot as the star talent in the upcoming Ice Breakers commercial, surpassing a crowd of 80 spring breakers all vying for the same opportunity.
Gallo’s spring break stay was set to end March 17, but winning the contest meant she got the opportunity to stay at a lavish hotel, receive spending money for her extended stay and later was home on MTV’s expense.
“The treatment was surreal,” Gallo said. “We had everything we wanted. We even had people to run over and shade us between takes!” Gallo said of her experience. She was also able to attend a wrap party, which was a party for the cast and crew at the end of production. It was at this party that the director discovered her and Josh’s secret of just meeting on spring break. “The director of the commercial didn’t find out that me and Josh weren’t a couple until the wrap party. He was so surprised,” Gallo said.
On March 18 Gallo and partner Lanni took part in 11 hours of filming. They spent the majority of their time sitting in a beach chair, saying the same lines repeatedly.
“You don’t realize how long it takes. You would think passing a mint would be easy, but we must have done (filmed) it 20 times,” said Gallo. She noted that now when she watches commercials she can’t help but think how long it took because of different angles and different shots.
Gallo said she is shocked by the whole experience. She is currently majoring in psychology and is debating over a minor in journalism. She said she is so focused on school right now to even contemplate any future TV opportunities that the producers mentioned to her.
“I would do something like this again if the opportunity presented itself,” Gallo said. “I definitely can not think that far ahead though, I’m just excited for the commercial to air right now.”
To find out more about casting and filming for Ice Breakers Sours and to see behind the scenes pictures and interviews, check out www.watchandwhoa.com. The commercial is set to air on numerous stations nationwide as of April 16.