Galpin Motors goes nationwide in Subway ad

No, Galpin Motors President Beau Boeckmann hasn't jumped into the sandwich business.

But it may appear that way after Subway recruited the California dealer to be a pitchman in a campaign where the chain seemingly takes over ads for various unrelated businesses.

The premise is that Subway has so much to share about its menu updates that it needs to grab airtime from other businesses to spread the word.

That's how Boeckmann ended up touting the joys of hickory-smoked bacon and All-American Club sandwiches while telling viewers to arrange a "test bite."

The first half of the spot starts out in typical Subway fashion with NBA Hall of Famer Charles Barkley doing a voice-over about steak sandwiches. It then jumps to Boeckmann as if the ad is over, only for him to continue the pitch in front of the Galpin sign and some Ford Rangers.

Producers made Boeckmann's portion feel like a traditional car ad, and he said the writers crafted a script that mirrored what he would say in one of his typical commercials.

"They took my normal pitch and then turned that into a Subway pitch," he told Automotive News. "But I didn't come up with the 'take a test bite today.' That's Subway. They came up with that on their own."

The commercial shoot was an adventure.

Boeckmann has rented studio space for years to shoot the ads that air heavily in the Los Angeles market, so he's no stranger to that environment. But Boeckmann said the Subway filming site was the biggest he'd ever seen for a commercial.

He was taken aback at first by the sheer scope of the operation. It was a little intimidating, Boeckmann admitted, and that feeling only grew after a familiar face stepped into the dressing room.

"All of a sudden, I see this really tall, handsome guy walk in the room," Boeckmann recalled. "I see him take a drink out of a mug, and I go, 'Oh my gosh, that's Tom Brady!' "

Brady has been hawking sandwiches for Subway, too. Boeckmann said the seven-time Super Bowl winner was the "nicest guy" and that he complimented Boeckmann's suit.

"I did tell him I was able to sell one of his Tom Brady edition Aston Martins, so that was kind of fun," Boeckmann said.

Boeckmann, whose Ford dealership is among the world's largest, felt like a small fish in a big pond on the set, especially after meeting Brady, but the shoot went smoothly.

He spent most of the day trying on different wardrobes and waiting around. The actual filming, which took place in front of a green screen, lasted just about 25 minutes.

Boeckmann has had friends around the country tell him they saw the ad. They've been sending snapshots of their TVs while the ad was on and recording videos of it.

Boeckmann said the spot is like getting free publicity for his dealership whenever it airs locally. "I had friends say, 'Dude, I saw that you were on TV and then all of a sudden it was a Subway ad. What's going on?' "