A new commercial for Amazon pitches life and jobs in Fall River — and birdwatching?

FALL RIVER — You have 30 seconds — quick, name the first thing that comes to your mind when you think of Fall River.

Was it “birdwatching”?

Amazon seems to think so.

An ad for the online retail giant, which has been playing on TV stations and embedded in podcasts in recent days, pitches Fall River as the home of "historic charm, great birdwatching, and an Amazon warehouse.”

The ad isn’t selling a specific product — it's selling Amazon itself. The ad's apparent goal is to encourage people to come to Fall River and work for the Amazon fulfillment center straddling the Fall River-Freetown border, by highlighting benefits available to new employees like health care and educational training. It also pitches Amazon as a good corporate neighbor.

The Amazon fulfillment center opened in October 2016.

Birdwatching is, for some reason, a theme running throughout the 30-second ad.

“Locals are spotting opportunities at Amazon all across the country,” says the ad. “Good for employees. Good for Fall River.”

'Fall River Rising': TV show explores Fall River's great outdoors, from hiking to sailing. Here's how to watch.

Is Fall River really a birdwatching destination?

The ad, created by media company ATTN: and directed by Jess Fee, features a few shots of downtown Fall River, colorful murals, Portugalia Marketplace and the city’s waterfront. According to advertising tracker iSpot, the ad first appeared in early February.

The two employees spotlighted in the commercial are actual employees at the Fall River warehouse, said Kortney Sawyer, associate account director at ATTN:.

A Herald News photographer caught a crew in the act of filming the ad last fall at Battleship Cove. The actors stood by the Heritage State Park Visitors Center with binoculars in hand, looking out at Big Mamie. In the ad, thanks to the magic of editing, the performers spy a nest of robin eggs.

But ... why is birdwatching in the ad? Is Fall River actually known for this?

“It’s not what I think of when I think of big birding destinations or places known for birding,” said Eryn Dion, content editor at The Providence Journal and avid birder. “But maybe I’m just not birding cultured!”

Jason Colby, a birder from Coventry, Rhode Island, said he's heard the Amazon ads himself and was amused. He's been birding here when in town with family to see Battleship Cove, but hasn't made a special trip just for the birds.

“One can see some birds there, certainly. But nearby places like Newport, Westport, Cape Cod are considered much more 'birding destinations' than Fall River itself," he said.

“A birder in Fall River certainly can find birds. The Taunton River does add diversity with water birds. But that's true all over the Rhode Island/Southeastern Mass. coastal area, and I don't think of Fall River itself as especially birdy in that context.”

Requests for comment from the ad agencies were not immediately returned.

SouthCoast on screen: The top 25 movies made locally or about southeastern Mass. ranked

Clubs for birders and other fans of our feathered friends

This is not to suggest that Fall River has no birdwatching culture at all.

The Paskamansett Bird Club, founded in 1963, is thriving. It holds its monthly meetings in Dartmouth, and members go birding in the Southeastern Massachusetts Bioreserve every Tuesday. Newcomers are welcome to join, too.

According to environmental group Green Futures, the Bioreserve is home to nearly 100 rare species of birds. Among them, according to MassAudubon, include the eastern towhee, ovenbird and the prairie warbler.

The club also has a full slate of special events across the SouthCoast this year, including a Quequechan River walk on March 16, a visit to Westport Town Farm on April 20, and a more challenging trek through the Bioreserve on May 4. More information on the bird club is available at https://www.paskamansettbirdclub.com.

For something birding-adjacent, the city is home to the Fall River Racing Pigeon Club, which has been active since 1960. In that sport, specially trained homing pigeons are set loose dozens, or even over 100 miles away and tracked to see how fast they return home. More information on pigeon racing is available at pigeon.org.

NOTE: This story has been updated with corrected information on the advertising agencies involved.

Dan Medeiros can be reached at dmedeiros@heraldnews.com. Support local journalism by purchasing a digital or print subscription to The Herald News today.

This article originally appeared on The Herald News: Amazon pitches Fall River life, and birdwatching, in new commercial