PERINTON, N.Y. — A Martinizing Cleaners location in Fairport, New York, recently stepped onto the gridiron, temporarily rechristened as “Fanatics Cleaners” for a commercial featuring Buffalo Bills’ Damar Hamlin.
Hamlin suffered a cardiac arrest in a game at the end of the 2022 regular season. The NFL chose to feature Hamlin’s return in the commercial produced by Barry Sonders, a Rochester native who's now an executive producer and managing partner at pf100 in Los Angeles. Sonders insisted the commercial highlighting Hamlin’s triumphant return be shot locally near Buffalo and chose Martinizing Cleaners of Fairport, located at 12 Courtney Drive, Fairport, N.Y.
“Of course, we are all huge Bills fans here. So, when we were asked if we’d mind if they used our store for the shoot, it was a no-brainer — particularly since it gave us a chance to meet Damar,” says Todd Sankes, owner of Martinizing Cleaners of Fairport. “The cherry on top was that some of our people were in the commercial as well.”
The Martinizing Cleaners was converted into a Fanatics Cleaners for the spot. In the two-minute commercial, two Fanatics Cleaners discuss the upcoming NFL season while sifting through the cleaned shirts of NFL players. The last shirt belonged to Hamlin, who approached the counter to receive his jersey.
The commercial made its debut on September 6, the day before the 2023-24 NFL season was set to kick off.
Since the shoot, Martinizing Cleaners of Fairport has returned to its original look. Though that might change soon.
“"They told me I get an autographed jersey from him under the Martinizing sign, and I could post it in the lobby," Sankes said.
The full, two-minute commercial can be viewed on YouTube HERE.
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