Local fifth-grader lands national ad campaign

Joey Sapienza, 11, never expected to be modeling Ralph Lauren clothes in a nationwide ad campaign for J.C. Penney department stores. He was just watching his 4-year-old brother, Anderson Burns, audition for the ad when the photographer saw blue-eyed, blond Joey and said, "That's the look we need."

Although Anderson was hired, it was Joey who stole the cover of the new Penney's flyer introducing the American Living line of clothing and home accessories. Joey, decked out in white shorts and a multicolored button-down shirt, appears in a "family" cover scene with a shaggy dog and three other professional models.

And it was Joey that you might have seen on the Penney commercials scheduled to air last Sunday during the Oscars telecast.

The commercial was shot along the Rappahannock riverfront in Irvington, Va.

"They rented out houses with amazing backyards for the shoot," said Roberta Burns, Joey's mom. "It was fantastic."

Joey is a fifth-grader at Virginia Beach's Corporate Landing Elementary School. His fraternal twin, Nicky, doesn't share Joey's newly aroused modeling aspirations.

"Nicky just want to play sports," Roberta Burns said. "But Joey fell in love with this path, and now he thinks he's the cat's meow.

"He's so excited and so proud of himself - and that's good for any kid."