Where Are Commercials Filmed?

Where Are Commercials Filmed?

Inside the Hidden World of Commercial Production Locations

(By Carmichael Phillip)

When you see a car gliding through the desert, a family laughing in a cozy kitchen, or a celebrity walking down a bustling city street in a perfume ad, it’s easy to assume those commercials were filmed exactly where they appear to be. In reality, the world of commercial production is far more complex and fascinating.

Commercials are filmed in a wide range of places—from massive studios in Los Angeles and New York to remote areas in Canada, Europe, and even Australia. The choice of location depends on the product, the target market, the desired atmosphere, and the production budget.

Some commercials are filmed entirely on soundstages, using green screens and digital effects to create the illusion of real-world settings. Others rely on real neighborhoods, public parks, or foreign cities to achieve a particular aesthetic or emotional tone.

Let’s take a deep dive into where commercials are filmed, why certain locations are chosen, and how the world’s most iconic ads come to life.

The biggest commercial production centers are located in the same cities that dominate film and television—Los Angeles, New York, London, Toronto, and Vancouver. Each of these cities offers unique advantages for advertisers and filmmakers alike.

Los Angeles, California: As the heart of the entertainment industry, L.A. is home to countless studios, production companies, and creative agencies. Its diverse geography—from beaches to deserts and mountains—makes it ideal for a wide range of commercial settings. Many car commercials, for instance, are filmed in the hills or deserts surrounding the city.

New York City: Known for its distinctive architecture and energy, New York often serves as the backdrop for fashion, finance, and tech commercials. From Times Square to Brooklyn brownstones, NYC offers instantly recognizable visuals that lend credibility and sophistication to a brand.

Toronto and Vancouver, Canada: These Canadian cities are popular because they can double for American cities while offering lower production costs and generous tax incentives. Many U.S. commercials are quietly filmed in Canada without audiences realizing it.

London, England: London’s blend of modern and historical architecture makes it a versatile location for global campaigns. Many perfume and luxury brand commercials—featuring stars like Kate Moss or Idris Elba—use iconic London backdrops.

Sydney, Australia: Thanks to its sunny weather and scenic diversity, Sydney is another popular spot for international shoots, especially during the Northern Hemisphere’s winter months.

Not all commercials are filmed in real locations. In fact, many are shot on soundstages—large, controlled environments where lighting, sound, and set design can be perfectly managed.

These studio spaces, found in places like Culver City Studios, Warner Bros. Studios, and Pinewood Studios, allow crews to create everything from futuristic laboratories to homey kitchens without worrying about weather or outside noise.

A well-known example is the Coca-Cola “Share a Coke” campaign. Although the commercial appears to take place in a sunny park, most of it was actually filmed on a soundstage using artificial grass, props, and digital enhancements.

Soundstages are particularly useful for commercials that involve food, special effects, or products that need close-up shots. Everything from lighting reflections to the texture of a sandwich can be fine-tuned to perfection under these controlled conditions.

While studios offer control, on-location filming offers authenticity. Shooting in real places—homes, restaurants, parks, or city streets—helps audiences connect emotionally with the commercial.

For instance, many insurance and family-oriented brands prefer to film in suburban homes to evoke feelings of comfort and reliability. Car brands, on the other hand, often choose scenic highways or rugged landscapes to demonstrate performance and freedom.

The Apple “Shot on iPhone” campaign is a great example of authentic location shooting. Apple filmed real people in various parts of the world—Tokyo, San Francisco, Iceland, and more—to showcase the camera’s capabilities. The result was a global, human-centered campaign that felt natural and genuine.

Even fast-food commercials often use real diners or retro-style restaurants to enhance the atmosphere. McDonald’s, for example, has shot several ads in stylized versions of its own locations combined with cinematic lighting to create a nostalgic, inviting tone.

With globalization and digital marketing, many commercials are produced with international audiences in mind. This means filming in multiple countries or choosing locations that feel universally appealing.

A good example is luxury fashion and perfume brands like Chanel, Dior, and Gucci. Their commercials often feature European cities—Paris, Rome, or Venice—because these locations symbolize sophistication and timeless beauty.

Meanwhile, automotive brands like BMW and Mercedes-Benz frequently film in Spain or South Africa, where the roads are scenic and weather conditions are predictable.

Even commercials for American products are often shot overseas to reduce costs or access unique landscapes. For example, the sweeping desert scenes in some U.S. car commercials were actually filmed in Morocco or Chile, not Arizona.

This global approach not only saves money but also helps brands appeal to a broader audience by presenting a cosmopolitan image.

One of the most practical factors influencing where commercials are filmed is tax incentives. Many states and countries offer rebates or financial credits to attract production companies.

For example, Georgia, New Mexico, and Louisiana in the U.S. have become major filming destinations thanks to generous incentives. The same goes for Canada, the United Kingdom, and New Zealand.

By filming in these locations, companies can cut production costs by up to 30%, which is a huge advantage for even short commercials that can cost hundreds of thousands of dollars to produce.

These incentives have created thriving local industries. Cities like Atlanta now host dozens of commercial shoots each month, often standing in for more expensive locales like New York or Los Angeles.

Sometimes, the magic of advertising takes place in the most unexpected corners of the world.

The iconic Old Spice “The Man Your Man Could Smell Like” commercial, featuring Isaiah Mustafa, was filmed in Istanbul, Turkey, not on a beach in California as many thought.

The Apple iPhone 14 ad showing people calling emergency services via satellite was filmed in New Zealand, chosen for its rugged terrain and cinematic skies.

Nike often films in remote areas like Iceland or Chile to capture dramatic, natural visuals that emphasize human endurance.

Coca-Cola and Pepsi commercials have been filmed everywhere from Mexico City to Prague, depending on the visual and cultural tone they want to achieve.

These global shoots not only add visual diversity but also emphasize the idea that major brands are everywhere—crossing borders and cultures through shared imagery.

Before a commercial is filmed, a location scout and production designer collaborate closely with the director and creative team. Their goal is to find or create a space that visually supports the commercial’s story and branding message.

Scouts look for locations that match the tone—modern, rustic, urban, or exotic—and also consider logistics such as lighting, accessibility, and permits.

For instance, a 30-second ad for a breakfast cereal might take place in a warm, sunlit kitchen. The production team will often tour dozens of real homes before selecting one that feels authentic and photogenic. If nothing fits, they might build a replica kitchen on a soundstage instead.

Even the smallest details—like the direction of the sunlight through a window or the color of the floor—can influence where a commercial is shot.

In recent years, technology has begun transforming the way commercials are filmed. Virtual production and LED volume stages—like those used for “The Mandalorian”—allow brands to shoot anywhere in the world without leaving a studio.

This technique uses massive LED walls that display photorealistic backgrounds created through Unreal Engine. For advertisers, this means they can film a commercial that looks like it’s set in Paris or the Sahara Desert without flying a single crew member abroad.

Additionally, drone filming and AI-assisted editing have made it easier and cheaper to capture stunning visuals. Aerial shots that once cost tens of thousands of dollars can now be achieved in minutes.

These innovations are changing the economics of commercial production, allowing even smaller brands to create cinematic-quality ads on modest budgets.

So, where are commercials filmed? The short answer is—everywhere. From Hollywood studios to Icelandic glaciers, suburban homes to LED stages, the world of advertising is a vast and ever-changing landscape of creativity.

Each location, whether real or constructed, plays a key role in how a commercial tells its story and connects with audiences. Whether it’s a global luxury campaign or a local fast-food ad, the perfect location helps transform a few seconds of screen time into something unforgettable.

As technology continues to evolve, the line between real and virtual locations will only blur further. Yet one thing will remain the same: the quest to capture the right image, in the right place, to make us watch—and remember.

Acting Magazine Newsletters

Never miss out on the best from Acting Magazine.

Sign me up for the newsletter!