UD Cheerleaders star in ABC-TV football promo

UD cheerleaders (from left, front) Lisa Lim, Kayte Philson, Stephaine Tucker, Danielle Anari, Lauren Kaplanis and (back) Mike Tetlow and Greg Gilbert don uniforms bearing the ABC College Football logo.

9:03 a.m., Aug. 23, 2004--Cheerleaders performing stunts in an ABC-TV promotional ad that will run during Monday Night Football games and ABC’s largest audience college games this season are not actors but women and men from the University of Delaware’s cheerleading squad.

Danielle Anari, Greg Gilbert, Lauren Kaplanis, Lisa Lim, Kayte Philson, Michael Tetlow and Stephanie Tucker appear in the promo wearing uniforms that bear the ABC logo. The teasers were taped in New Castle on Friday, Aug. 13, and will air on ABC starting Sept. 4. Cheerleaders will not be identified as coming from UD in the promo.

The squad’s head coach, Joe Mackley said he received a call from ABC a week before the promo was shot asking if UD cheerleaders would be interested in making the television ad for which they would be paid. Everyone was willing, so Mackley selected five women and two men.

Mackley said ABC originally intended to shoot the ad in New York but decided on Delaware because it was more cost-effective and still close to New York. Usually only actors are used for the promos, but this time ABC producers went searching for the real thing. They were impressed by UD’s spirit program and amazed at the stunts the cheerleaders could do, Mackley said.

The network shot the promo in a warehouse off Route 9 in 12 hours, from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. The cheerleaders enjoyed the experience, Mackley said, and they are thrilled that they will be seen by millions of viewers.

Article by Barbara Garrison

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