Frankie MacDonald makes cameo in Nova Scotia Power online videos

Nova Scotia Power is hoping the internet fame of Cape BretonerFrankie MacDonaldwillelectrify a series of company-sponsored videos about storm preparedness.

The utility has released a series of videoscalled The Storm Wars Trilogyabout three characters Joel, Gail and David as they get ready to ride out a big winter storm in rural Nova Scotia.

SpokeswomanBeverley Ware says MacDonald's'Be prepared' motto matches the utility's message well.

"He's also a very popular person in Nova Scotia, avery well recognizedface. So it was just a natural fit for us to partner with him," Ware said.

Last year's post-tropical storm Arthurspurred the companyinto action to make the videos.

"It was identified that we needed to find new ways of reaching out to our customers," she said. "But we wanted to do it in an engaging way and we also wanted to inform our customers about what we're doing here behind the scenes at Nova Scotia Power."

Real employees acting

MacDonald makes his cameo at the beginning of the first episode. Joel, the unprepared one, is seen watching a Frankie forecastwarning Nova Scotians to be prepared for an impending snowstorm.

Gail and David, Joel's older neighbours, are "your typical Nova Scotians," as the video's synopsis says. They guide Joel and the viewer through the steps Nova Scotia Power takes to tackleoutages.

The second episodegoesbehind-the-scenes of the utility's emergency operations centrein Ragged Lake. It features real employees performingtheir actual roles ina scripted outage scenario.

"They were pretty darn good!" Wares said of their acting. "It's rare for customers to get a glimpse into emergency operations centre. From that point of view, it's kind of exciting.It kind of looks like the deck of Star Trek Enterprise or something like that."

Ware says those scenes may help churn up a little empathy into the utility's efforts during inclement weather.

"I hope so,"she said. "I hope it's helpful for people to understand the process and sort of get the bigger picture."

MacDonald was given an honorariumfor his participation, which he split with Autism Nova Scotia.