Having grown up in Illinois and Wisconsin, I didn’t really have a horse in the big race, which pretty much meant being able to kick back, enjoy the football, food, and of course, the commercials. I teared up at Google’s Loretta, loved the message from Microsoft’s Be the One, and was intrigued by Michelob’s 6 for 6. But the commercial I was most looking forward to was the Bill Murray Jeep commercial.
Last weekend I was lucky enough to have had a hair appointment on the Square in Woodstock, IL. Woodstock is where OWC’s headquarters are and where the movie Groundhog Day was filmed back in 1993. We’ve had fun with that fact ever since.
I had heard that there was some commercial being filmed, but I was surprised when security stopped me from getting to the salon. Luckily I looked like I needed a haircut, so the security guy announced me as a bogey, and I was allowed to go through. Everyone in the salon was watching out the window as the Ned Ryerson scenes were shot, and the intrepid extras walked and talked with their coffee – over and over and over again. I have a new appreciation for the patience of that work.
By the time I was done, Bill Murray had arrived. His scenes were a bit away from where I was and security was more pronounced once he was on site, but thankfully he has a nice head of gray hair, so I was able to pick him out easily.
Woodstock has a vibrant downtown full of great local businesses, and it was nice to see it as a backdrop once again. I thought the commercial was one of the best ones this year. Of course, it had Bill Murray, Sonny and Cher, and a groundhog so how could it not be?
– Jen Soule, OWC President
That’s so cool! What a touching story, and great commercial!