Hyundai Gets Novel Tour of South Pasadena

The sight of a police car, with its lights flashing, is an alarming one anywhere. In South Pas, whose police department is known for its zero tolerance policies, the spectacle can sometimes be a bit frightening.

And so it must have come as a relief to many that a shiny new Hyundai sedan being “pursued” by a police car on Wednesday turned out to be actually getting a tour of South Pasadena.

The Hyundai was the star of a commercial shoot that toured the quiet residential streets of Oak, Milan and Mission Avenue. 

The commercial's producer told South Pasadena Patch that the city has long been a popular filming location because of its small-town qualities. "The houses are older, the streets are quiet, and the dappled light is great for filming,” she said, adding: “These streets can pass for middle America."

The film crew set up base camp near the Arroyo Seco Racquet Club. Crew members got into the holiday spirit by dressing up as their favorite elf or Christmas icon. There were a whole lot of Santas toting cell phones and electric cables, arranging lights.