Reality TV, heavy duty style: Ice Road Truckers star throws in for Delo

In a media campaign for Chevron's Delo heavy duty motor oil, Lisa Kelly of HISTORY Network's hit show Ice Road Truckers joined a group of reality TV personalities backing the oil and touting its use in their trucks, agricultural and mining machines, and other diesel equipment.

It's called "The Reality of Delo," and Chevron says it's "a modern take on testimonials intended to influence heavy duty diesel equipment users about the benefits of Delo heavy duty motor oil." In one of the testimonial-style videos in the campaign, Kelly recalls being a tomboy growing up, wondering what career path to take — and then she saw heavy trucks.

"Those are cool — I'll drive those," she says. "The moment I stepped in a truck, that's what I truly loved." In a release, Kelly states that she's used Delo from the beginning of her career in trucking and points to the icy, snowy roads she drives that are spotlighted in Ice Road Truckers: "I drive some of the deadliest roads in the world. I can't take chances on oils."

She continues on that theme in the testimonial video as well. "I'd rather worry about what song I'm going to listen to next on the radio than worry about if my truck's not running properly," Kelly says. "When I open my toolbox door, it's always Delo."

Getting traction

Chevron says the campaign is raising interest in Delo. "We've seen a significant increase in awareness and more importantly engagement with the Delo brand since the introduction of the Reality of Delo campaign, and as soon as we heard Lisa Kelly was a long-time Delo user, we couldn't wait to bring her onto the team," stated Rommel Atienza, brand manager of North America commercial brands at Chevron Products Co. "Lisa joins a great list of Delo advocates."

Shooting for the new Reality of Delo commercials is underway, according to Chevron, and the new marketing campaign starts later this month on "a variety online media properties." Kelly's testimonial has been added to those of others like Freddy Dodge of Discovery's Gold Rush, Mike Papac of the HISTORY Network's Ax Men and Dale Kitchens of The Edge of Farming web series.