Los Angeles Ad Town: Kohl's Hits Downtown

The latest commercial for Kohl's includes several scenes shot in and around downtown Los Angeles. It's also notable for being one of the first ads to include an image of the new Broad museum (below).

Los Angeles Ad Town: The Waterpark Ruins in Tony Hawk's New Commercial

In a new spot for Mini Cooper (above), Tony Hawk and his family sneak into an abandoned waterpark to skate:





Of course, anyone who takes the 15 to Las Vegas recognizes it as the remains to Lake Dolores and Rock-A-Hoola, a failed water park in the middle of the desert (Newberry Springs, to be exact).

Of course, in these drought times, the idea of a waterpark that deep into the desert is preposterous. But it was always a crazy idea. Yet, Lake Dolores had been around for decades before it went bust 15 years ago.

Here's what the front of the water park looks like now, via the Mini ad:



And here's what it looked like in full operation:



I wrote about it in 2011:

Opened by Bob and Dolores (the park's namesake) Byers in 1962, Lake Dolores is considered one of the first -- if not the first -- water parks in the country.

A popular recreational attraction for much of the 1970s and 1980s, it finally shut down in the late 1980s. Ten years later, in the late 1990s, it reopened as the 1950s-themed "Rock-A-Hoola." Here's a promo video from 1998:

The new owners went bankrupt, and it shut down for good by 2004. Since then the water attractions have been removed and the location has been vandalized. Now, it's a spooky shell of its former self. See more at my 2011 post here.

L.A. Ad Town: Glendale's Downtown Gets Car Commercial Screen Time

Usually it's downtown Los Angeles that shows up in car commercials, so it was a nice surprise to see downtown Glendale in this spot. Shot right next to the Nestle headquarters in downtown Glendale, the building (and the mountains behind it) are unmistakable.


As you can tell, this is a spot for Honda.


Interestingly, the "134" is digitally removed from the sign here.


Check out the Verdugo mountains in the background.

L.A. Ad Town: Matthew McConaughey Loiters in Silver Lake

In his latest Lincoln commercial, Matthew McConaughey dines alone as it rains hard outside. It turns out he's eating at Blair's restaurant in Silver Lake, on Rowena next to Ivanhoe school. (Here's our 2004 Rate-A-Restaurant review of Blair's.)



Mood-effect rain outside Blair's in the Lincoln commercial.


Hey, it stopped raining in time to take a spin in the Lincoln! Allrightallrightallright!


The Blair's building recently underwent a renovation. Here's how it looked in September, via Yelp user Eric T. And below, a shot of how Blair's used to look, from a Google Maps pic taken in May:

Los Angeles Ad Town: Samuel L. Jackson in Century City

In the latest spot for Capital One, Samuel L. Jackson and the extras around him are waaay too bundled up for Century City in October. Sam, it's 90 degrees outside!



My co-workers and I use this bridge once a week to grab what we affectionately call "Crack Chicken" -- the huli hili Hawaiian BBQ chicken stand that attracts long lines. (It's good, although good enough to wait in line for 20 minutes is debatable).



(Memo to Sam Rubin: This is not Laurence Fishburne.) The original plan for Century City called for many pedestrian bridges like this one; but most were never built.

L.A. Cameo: Commercial Shoot Places New York Taxis in Downtown

Spotted outside the Last Bookstore at Spring and 5th: A bunch of New York taxi cabs. Yep, a typical sight in L.A., particularly downtown, as it once again plays New York. This time for a commercial.

Los Angeles Ad Town: Twix at the Bradbury

What old-timey building boasts a Willie Wonka-like factory constructing Twix bars from scratch? Why, it's downtown's famous 1893 Bradbury Building!



Of course, we all remember the Bradbury from "Blade Runner." Now, you'll also remember it as the home of caramel, wafers and chocolate.



No, those gears are not real.

Los Angeles Ad Town: McDonald's Takes Over Union Station

So much happens at Downtown's Union Station -- and so much of it has nothing to do with trains. The amazing Invisible Cities opera, now in its final performances. Weddings. And of course, plenty of film, TV and ad shoots. Here's one of the latest, from McDonald's.

Los Angeles Ad Town: Carmax Visits the Natural History Museum

Exposition Park's Natural History Museum is a popular spot for film shoots -- particularly period pieces set in New York, for some reason. (Check out "Mad Men's" visit here.

You're less likely to see a car ad at the museum, but this recent Carmax commercial (part of its "Start Here" campaign) visits the building, before taking the ad's stars all the way to a used car lot. (I believe the closest one is in Inglewood, close to LAX.)

Los Angeles, Ad Town: Dinosaurs in Century City

Here's a fun one: Is that an apatosaurus waiting in the valet line at the Century Plaza Hotel in Century City?

Indeed, dinosaurs have invaded L.A. (and, in particular, Century City) in a new spot for Buick. Below, dinosaurs on Avenue of the Stars (with the Century City bridge behind it).





I'm not familiar with this hotel/condo driveway, however. Any help?

Los Angeles, Ad Town: Travel Town Edition

Usually downtown's Union Station is the backdrop for advertisements -- which makes it kinda cool to see Griffith Park's Travel Town getting some commercial love. Here's a spot for "OurTime.com" shot at your toddler's favorite spot for a birthday party.

LA Ad Town: Fake Elevated Line Edition

This may be one of the more bizarre creative licenses I've seen in a while: The Red Line subway magically appears above ground in downtown LA, via this University of Phoenix spot. Thanks to Will Campbell for spotting this one. He writes:

Can't remember what we were watching this weekend, but this scene from an ad for University of Phoenix sure got my attention. In it, the real-life fully underground Red Line train is seen magically elevated and traveling westbound over Flower Street at 4th. That's the Bonaventure Hotel just beyond the train on the right side of the frame.

Here's the full ad:

L.A. Ad Town: Buick Does Downtown's Coffee Bar

A spot for the Buick Verano Turbo, taking place at downtown's Coffee Bar on Spring Street.







At the end of the ad, racing down Spring Street, past the old Stock Exchange.

L.A. Ad Town: Bullocks Wilshire Is Back! Well, Sorta

The legendary Bullocks Wilshire department store shut down in 1993, and has been the Southwestern Law School's library since the late 1990s. But in a new TJ Maxx ad currently on TV, the building is once again playing the role of department store.



Of course, with those yellow taxi cabs in front, it looks like it's playing the role of New York department store, but no matter. It's neat to see a modern depiction of the building as a bustling retailer.



The Blogger Kid, back when he was still just the Blogger Baby, and I got to explore inside the Bullocks Wilshire building as part of a 2005 L.A. Conservancy tour; check out a few pics here.

Los Angeles Ad Town: Samsung in Atwater Village

Samsung adds a fake bus shelter to Glendale Blvd. in Atwater Village, right in front of famed dive bar Club Tee Gee.

Los Angeles Ad Town: Sensa at Bob's Big Boy in Downey

One of the bigger architectural conservation victories in recent years was the restoration of the former Johnie's Broiler in Downey. Now Bob's Big Boy Broiler, the whole building was halfway torn down when concerned citizens and politicians put a stop to it. A rehab has helped give the building a new sheen and make it one of the most filmed buildings in the region (including "Mad Men"). We visited Bob's Boy Broiler last year and filed this report/restaurant review; read it here.

And in the meantime, here's a recent commercial (from Sensa) with the Bob's in the backgroud.





And here's a pic from our visit in 2011:

L.A. Ad Town: Yamashiro

Hollywood's famous Asian-themed hilltop restaurant is the setting for many TV and feature scenes, including this recent ad for "Ultrabook, inspired by Intel."