Amazon’s Strange Fall River Commercial Is for the Birds

Fall River, Massachusetts: Bird-Watching Capital of the Northeast?

For reasons unknown, that's what Amazon would have you believe if you watch its new commercial.

"We have a lot going for us," a chipper voice says over shots of the city in the 30-second national ad. "Historic charm, great bird-watching and an Amazon warehouse."

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We can buy the historic charm and the Amazon warehouse -- Fall River definitely has both -- but the city is not known for bird-watching, not even a little bit. Were the writers referring to Fall River, Kansas? A quick Google suggests that place seems more inviting for the activity.

The ad plays heavily on birding, tying Fall River's supposed favorite hobby into "spotting opportunities" to work for Amazon. It's a cute commercial but not accurate. Of course, commercials need not tell the truth to do their job. Creative license affords folks wiggle room. Still, if you're going through the trouble of hiring actors, writing a script and filming an ad about the city in the city, why not get it right?

Fall River has its share of bird watchers and places to watch birds. That doesn't make it a city known for bird-watching. The Southeastern Massachusetts Bioreserve, a good chunk of which is in Fall River, is a lovely place to enjoy all of nature's offerings, but spotting birds there isn't the first, second or maybe even 10th thing people think of when they think of Fall River. The same goes for the city's beautiful parks and the Quequechan River Rail Trail -- nice places but not universally synonymous with watching birds.

READ MORE: The Fall River Chow Mein Sandwich Has a Fun Theme Song

It could be worse. Birding seems like a lovely activity and it would be nice for the city to take it on as part of its identity. Looking up would offer a welcome reprieve from the city's most commonly spotted bird, the one people flip you after blowing through yield signs at rotaries.

Amazon redeemed itself, sort of, in a separate ad focused on an Amazon worker. A voice asks for her favorite thing about the city and she responds, "Portugalia Marketplace." She says she's a big fan of the shop's pasteis de nata (custard cups). Fall River-born celebrity chef Emeril Lagasse, who visited Portugalia as part of a SouthCoast food tour, would likely agree.

There's the lesson for all future Fall River commercial makers:

If you want to show off the city in a commercial, you can never go wrong spotlighting the food.

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