MUST-WATCH: The Derek Jeter Ad That Everyone Will Be Talking About
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- If this doesn't give you chills, call your doctor. You need to be checked for a pulse.
A new Derek Jeter ad is making the rounds via YouTube, this one courtesy of Gatorade. And it's just as good -- if not better -- than the mega-viral RE2PECT spot from earlier this season.
The voice of the legendary Frank Sinatra sings "My Way" in the new ad, which is a moving tribute to the Yankees' captain. On Thursday, CBS 2's Sonia Rincon went to River Avenue in the Bronx, where the ad was shot.
The black and white commercial starts out with Jeter getting out of a car and walking the last few blocks to Yankee Stadium, and captures the priceless looks on fans' faces.
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He says hi to the kids at the skate park and then drops in on the fans at Stan's, signs his picture at the bar, and chats with general manager Michael Rendino.
"He's amazing. He introduces himself to you, like we don't know who you are. 'Hi, I'm Derek Jeter," Rendino told Rincon.
And none of it was scripted, Rincon reported.
"They had to do it all in one shot because they knew if word got out that Jeter was on the street, they would lose it. So, one shot, no rehearsing. It was very natural, very quick. It flowed perfect," Rendino said.
Then it was on to the mural of Jeter's smiling face, a few doors down with 161st Street Business Improvement District director Cary Goodman.
"That's the whole idea behind these artworks and, I think, even the commercial -- to bring the community and the team together," Goodman said.
Artist Lexi Bella created the mural.
"I mean, of course, when I did this that was like a dream for me to know that he saw it. So to have it displayed that way was incredible," Bella said.
Jeter's walk down River Avenue was actually shot back in July on an afternoon before a game. Nobody but a few people knew he was coming, and one storefront was turned into a bodega to create more of a neighborhood feel, Rincon reported.
The commercial ends with the captain suiting up and walking out onto the field -- his way -- and, hopefully, not ready to say goodbye just yet.
"Hopefully, the Yankees will win the next 11 games and be in the playoffs," Goodman said.
Hopefully … Jeter's got a few more surprises.
Jeter is scheduled to play his final home game next Thursday in the Bronx, where the goose bumps will be tenfold. The finale of his legendary career will come Sunday, Sept. 28, against the Red Sox at Boston's Fenway Park.
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