September 2005

 

Felice can cross an item off of her list of things to do before she dies; she has been featured in a national television commercial. It all started earlier in the summer when a location scout breezed into the store and browsed the narrow space. Liking what he saw, he approached Felice about possibly shooting a Bank of America commercial there. Trying to hide her overflowing enthusiasm, Felice happily informed him that Felice Designs was actually a Bank of America customer, and that she would love to be in the commercial.

Months went by with no word from Bank of America, and the commercial receded from the forefront of Felice's mind. However, one hot August day the phone rang, and the crew would be coming in two weeks to film!

It wasn't until we met the director that we understood what the commercial was for. They were showing Bank of America's involvement in women's businesses dating back one hundred years. Felice is one of the women being featured as a present day Bank of America customer.

The crew showed up early one Friday and blocked off the street to set up cameras and lights. Knowing of the day's exciting events, I showed up a bit later to watch Felice's glamorous day unfold. No work was done in the store that day! We were too interested in the equipment as well as the crew, who quickly became our best friends.

It wasn't until the early afternoon that Felice was taken to the hair and make-up trailer to get ready for her shot. That was my favorite part; there was something about "hair and make-up trailer" that excited me more than any of the big camers and lights! Then, they filmed her in the store and told her to smile like she was really proud of her acccomplishment as a successful business owner. It was a satisfying moment for Felice to be recognized for her amazing accomplishments by a huge corporation like Bank of America.

Afterwards, we had drinks around the corner at Rue de Jean with our new best friends. Look for the ad to air this fall.

Danielle Viguerie Ahern