The Inspiration

Chloe Sullivan

Chloe Sullivan has become an indelible part of Smallville. Since 2001, we have watched Chloe Sullivan go from a high school to the Daily Planet, from Clark Kent's best friend to his confidante who helps both him and the Justice League. Driven by a relentless pursuit of the truth and justice, Chloe has demonstrated what ordinary humans can accomplish in a world filled with aliens, mutants and superheroes. Her weekly displays of courage and determination in the face of dangerous opposition have been an inspiration to viewers and she has served as a role model to many of us as we've grown up with her into adulthood.

Allison Mack

Though the writers' efforts have created an amazing character in Chloe Sullivan, she would only be words on a page without Allison Mack to bring her to life. As "One of the CW's Most Beloved Leading Ladies" Her performance has made Chloe one of the most popular characters on Smallville, for which Allison has won Teen Choice Awards and E!'s Award for Best Leading Lady on the CW.

The Project

The Idea

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Earlier this year, fans participated in Operation: Truth & Justice, which made a $3,000 donation to the Christopher Reeve Foundation in Allison's name, as well as creating a scrapbook of fan letters and artwork for Allison and the writers of Smallville, along with other handmade gifts. When that project was done, fans felt Chloe and Allison Mack deserved a special tribute, a public one that would let everyone know what was so special about them both, and began brainstorming for ideas to create a tribute worthy of Chloe Sullivan and the impact she's had on fans for the past nine seasons.

We considered doing a mass postcard mailing, buying an ad in Variety magazine, and renting a billboard in Los Angeles, but we rejected these ideas as too derivative of previous fan activities. We wanted to find a tribute project as original as Chloe Sullivan herself. After much discussion, it was suggested we write, produce, and air a commercial on the Los Angeles CW affiliate to show how much Chloe and Allison's work have meant to Smallville fans. We felt that knowing fans cared enough to invest in a commercial about Chloe demonstrated the appreciation Allison Mack deserves for her excellent performance.

The Process

Ultimately, it was the very originality of this idea that convinced us to undertake the project, but it was so unprecedented that we were not sure it could be done. Aside from needing a good concept and script, we also needed licensing permission, a cast, a professional crew and equipment, insurance coverage, film and sound editors, a composer, and of course, the funds to pay for it all. It was a daunting project, but we set to work, believing that persistence would pay off.

It did.

The Creation

On February 20, 2010, the commercial project, titled Legendary, was filmed in Los Angeles. It focuses on favorite character milestones chosen by fans since Chloe's introduction. The commercial is now in post-production and once finished will be presented for Standards & Practices review to be approved to go on the air. We have raised the money we need to buy the airtime, and the finish line is in sight. We are thrilled with what we have seen of the finished product, and we hope Allison Mack and the writers and producers who have contributed to Chloe's journey on Smallville will be too.