Super Bowl commercial spotlights Airman

  • Published
  • By Jason M. Webb
  • 61st Communications Squadron
LOS ANGELES AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. (AFPN) --  A month ago, 1st Lt. Jeff McGowan would have laughed at the very idea that his face would be used to market thanks and gratitude on national television in front of 100 million viewers. But it is amazing what a few weeks and an opportunity of a lifetime can make.

The engineer at the Space and Missile Systems Center here will be featured in a commercial scheduled to be aired during Super Bowl XXXIX on Feb. 6.

The premise of the 30-second spot is not a typical plug for a product, but rather is a show of support for America’s armed forces.

The commercial is about servicemembers returning from overseas who are welcomed home with an eruption of applause.

For the filming, Lieutenant McGowan, along with 10 other servicemembers from local Reserve bases, walked from one end of the airport terminal to the other, dressed in a desert battle dress uniform. Their roles embody those Airmen, Soldiers, Sailors and Marines returning from Iraq and Afghanistan. The other actors in the commercial, about 200 of them, played the role of ordinary citizens filling the terminal.

The servicemembers selected for the commercial are outstanding representatives of those serving in uniform said Col. Beverly Lee, acting director of the Secretary of the Air Force Los Angeles Entertainment Liaison Office. And this commercial captures the fact that a simple “thank you” is deeply appreciated by anyone serving this nation.

The commercial’s director, Joe Pytka, said he hopes that same feeling of appreciation will be felt when the commercial airs.

Mr. Pytka said he was honored to work with the troops, and that it reaffirmed his view of the professionalism of our military forces, Colonel Lee said.

While the cast and crew were impressed with the military actors, Lieutenant McGowan said he learned a lot about the filming process.

“The most interesting process of filming the commercial to me was the attention to detail. Everything from the set, (to) the reaction of the actors to the sense of admiration was painstakingly sought after,” he said. “It was really amazing how much time and money goes into something that won’t last more than 30 seconds, yet will leave a life-long impression in many minds.

“I feel proud and honored to have been chosen to represent my brethren in uniform on national TV,” he said. “I wish (all servicemembers) could be congratulated in person. Few things touch a military member more simplistically than a fellow American saying ‘thank you.’”