Brothers Patrick and Erick Lindley and Erick’s wife, Brenda, decided they could beat the other competitors and entered their music video in the first Wells Fargo Bank’s consumer-generated contest. Their innovative video won and will be aired in a 30-second commercial spot following the opening ceremonies at the 2008 Tournament of Roses Parade.
Patrick said he ran across the contest while doing some online banking. At the time, only six entries had been posted.
 Brothers Patrick, left, and Erick Lindley along with Erick's wife, Brenda, entered their music video in Wells Fargo Bank's first ever consumer-generated contest and won. Their video will air in a 30-second commercial spot following the opening ceremonies at the 2008 Tournament of Roses Parade. (Joel Blocker / Daily Press) Advertisement |
So Patrick, Erick and Brenda looked over the rules and set a day to film around Auburn, Calif., where Erick and Brenda live.
The “Be Center Stage in the Rose Parade” contest asked for singers, dancers and aspiring directors to enter their own music video. Contestants were asked to choose one of five different styles of the song “The Wells Fargo Wagon” from Meredith Willson’s Broadway musical, “The Music Man.”
The grand prize winners, chosen by a panel of judges from Wells Fargo and the Tournament of Roses Association, would have their video viewed by an international audience.
Wells Fargo also awarded two iPhones and 10 Flip Video Ultra Cameras to winners of the popular vote. The Lindley group decided to go for the big prize.
Their video, “Livin’ in Wells Fargo Country,” got them just that.
Because the rules challenged the video artists to present an updated video to the song, the Lindleys decided to use their personal Wells Fargo Wagon — a red-and-black suburban.
“Everyone’s got a Wells Fargo wagon,” Brenda said. “Our suburban is our present-day wagon.”
Brenda said that the group wrote a script and found different locations around town to film. Because the song sings about the wagon bringing different items from around the country, the three spent one day filming different areas. The “technical assistance,” Brenda said, was done with the help of their daughter, 17-year-old Isabeau Lindley.
The three’s background in computers also helped.
Erick is systems and security information manager for Administrative Systems Inc., and Brenda is the multimedia specialist for the Placer County Water Agency. Patrick is an information security engineer for the State of California.
The creative filming the three added to the song isn’t the only thing that set them apart from other entries.
With musical backgrounds, Patrick, Erick and Brenda decided they needed to sing the song as well.
“We knew we could,” Erick said. “It added something to it.”
Both Erick and Patrick, who graduated from Montrose High School in the early to mid-’80s, had been involved in music productions and choir.
“They’ve always been very musical and artistic,” said Arlyn Macdonald, the boys’ mother, who still lives in Montrose.
Brenda and Erick are currently members in the Placer Community Theater and Patrick is a member of the Sacramento (Calif.) Men’s Chorus, Macdonald said.
Though the three could pick Broadway, pop, R&B or Latin versions of the song, they put on their straw hats and chose country as their best match.
Thirty seconds of the 2:11-minute video will air just after the opening ceremonies of the Rose Parade at approximately 9 a.m. MST on ABC and NBC. Patrick said he’s not sure how they will cut down the video but it can also be viewed on Wells Fargo’s Web site. Go to www.wellsfargo.com/CenterStage, click on “Music Video Contest,” go to Page 3 and click on “Livin’ In Wells Fargo Country.”
Contact Kati O’Hare via e-mail at katio@montrosepress.com
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