with gallery: Pure Michigan video shoot showcasing Michigan Stadium, Ypsilanti Water Tower draws crowds

When completed, the video will showcase 50 cities throughout the state of Michigan and will have a modified version of the song “Good Time” by Owl City and “Call Me Maybe” singer Carly Rae Jepsen.

Status Creative, the same firm behind a Grand Rapids video, known as the Grand Rapids LipDub that went viral last year with 4.9 million views, will highlight each city, landmark and other "eye catching" things from around the state.

Forty members of the U-M Marching Band, 40 cheerleaders and 25 dance team members participated in the Ann Arbor portion of the video shoot and sang a portion of the song. The Ann Arbor video was not open to the public.

The band, along with the cheerleaders and dance team, formed the entire state of Michigan—including the Upper Peninsula—on the field.

Maggie St. Clair, administrative specialist for the marching band, said a graduate student came up with the idea.

“I think it’s very exciting and I’m really thrilled we were invited to participate,” she said. “One of our graduate students did the outline as the state of Michigan and the Upper Peninsula as a drill chart that we used on the field.”

Kristen Adamowski, a U-M junior and cheerleader, said she was excited to be pat of the video shoot.

“It’s really cool,” Adamowski said. “The fact we get to be a part of it is awesome and to be able to participate and represent the state is awesome.”

Ann Arbor Area Convention & Visitors Bureau president Mary Kerr was on-site of the U-M shoot and said having Ann Arbor be part of the shoot was a “fantastic opportunity.”

“It’s amazing to have this opportunity to join our peer cities in the state and showcase Ann Arbor and this incredible stadium,” Kerr said.

Kerr said when the bureau initially was approached by Pure Michigan, they knew right away the Big House was the ideal place to represent Ann Arbor.

"U-M is a huge part of our community and we are proud to have them represent us in this video, as it will be a tremendous marketing piece for the State of Michigan,” Kerr said.

More than 100 people showed up for the Ypsilanti shoot at the water tower located on Cross Street to participate in a 5-second clip to be featured in the promotional video. Ypsilanti participants also sang the "Good Time" song.

Although the video only was shot at the water tower, Eastern Michigan University, the Auto Heritage Museum, Michigan ElvisFest and more were represented by individuals in T-shirts and other outfits showcasing their “Ypsi Pride.”

Theodore Coutilish, associate vice president of marketing for EMU, said the university was well-represented by students, faculty members and alumni.

“It’s really great to see the Ypsilanti community and the EMU community come together for this very exciting Pure Michigan video shoot,’ Coutilish said.

Bill Nickels, chair of the Ypsilanti Visitors and Convention Bureau, has lived in the community for nearly 50 years and said the video will show the rich history Ypsilanti has.

“It’s got everything that Ypsilanti is in it,” Nickels said. “Ypsilanti looks better than it ever has looked.”

Debbie Locke-Daniel, executive director of the Ypsilanti bureau, said her organization helped put together the Ypsilanti shoot and get the word out.

“I hope it does go viral,” Locke-Daniel said. “An all state lip dub? This could be a first. This video will nationally show Michigan in a way that hasn’t been seen before. It might pique interest to travel to Michigan.”

Both shoots took a little more than an hour to complete and Cross Street was intermittently closed during the filming.

The Pure Michigan 7-day road trip began in Caseville on Aug. 18 and will wrap up in Harbor Springs on Saturday.