Bob CollinsAs painful as it is to admit it, Comcast’s Jesse Diggins commercial was pretty special.
It aired the other night, moments after the American audience saw a taped version of her exciting “Here Comes Diggins!” win for cross-country gold.
Ostensibly, it was a tribute to Diggins and her hometown of Afton, but we noticed something disturbing in its lovely portrayal of Afton. I don’t think it’s Afton.
It does feature the Chilkoot Cafe.
It’s in Stillwater.
The commercial also opens with a pretty night shot of downtown Afton. That’s Stillwater, too.
And this lovely introduction to the town?
That’s a dead ringer for Lowell Park. In Stillwater, Population: 19,292.
[Update: a friend notes that the flagpole was electronically added and that it’s likely Pioneer Park]
Other than that, it could make an Aftonite positively teary eyed.
The commercial included scenes from the race earlier in the day. AdWeek reveals how it was done in its “Ad of the Day” segment.
“Our first [Olympics] ad, ‘The Big Farewell,’ which started airing in late November, told the story of a handful of athletes as they are saying goodbye to their families and communities,” said Rudnay, adding that the newer “3 A.M.” spot centers on the true story of how Diggins’ hometown “gets together before she races, when they all go to a cafe and watch her.”
“We crafted a story that would resonate no matter what happened,” Kaplan said. “In the end, the commercial isn’t just a celebration of Jessie and her hometown. It’s also about the pride Comcast takes in bringing the Olympics to hometowns everywhere. … We knew the Comcast-NBC relationship created the opportunity to pivot and tell Olympic stories as they unfolded. It was Jessie’s moment. We’re thrilled we were able to help make it a little more special.”
“Literally as soon as we saw it on Tuesday … everybody on the Comcast and 72andSunny teams went into gear,” Rudnay said, with Kaplan adding, “We were ready, and it turned out better than we could’ve hoped for.”
