Ford pickup and SUV ad campaign shooting in Santa Rosa, Sonoma County

Did you notice lots of cameras and people on Old Courthouse Square in Santa Rosa on Wednesday morning? That’s because Hollywood has come to Sonoma County, if just for a few days.

Ford Motor Co. is using several familiar local spots to film a national commercial campaign for the upcoming holiday season.

Crews spent Wednesday in Santa Rosa filming around the downtown square as well as the nearby tree-lined McDonald Historic District neighborhood, according to a production crew member who asked to remain unnamed due to a nondisclosure agreement.

The commercials will feature three Ford vehicles, the F-150, the Explorer and the Bronco Sport. The ads will depict vignettes of families participating in holiday activities like buying Christmas trees at Frosty Mountain Tree Farm in Sebastopol and donating food to the F.I.S.H. food pantry in Santa Rosa, while driving Ford vehicles.

According to the crew member, Santa Rosa was chosen for the commercial because it has an ”All-American feel.”

“It’s a significant city, but it also has that charm you might find in a small town,” the crew member said. “For these national ads, the creative decision will be made to pick a place like Santa Rosa and Sonoma County that has a broad appeal.”

The commercial shoot, which is employing several local union crew members, began filming on Tuesday at the Hansel Auto Group on Corby Avenue in Santa Rosa and will continue into the weekend, with plans to film at Community Market in The Barlow in Sebastopol and on rural west county roads including Bohemian Highway.

The campaign’s budget includes compensation for the owners of the locations featured in the ads.

“Local businesses are benefiting from filming the commercial in the area,” the crew member said.

The commercials will likely be released within a few weeks.