Vancouver featured in Marco Rubio campaign ad

A new U.S. political television ad touts 'Morning in America,' but the opening skyline is unmistakably Canadian. 

Vancouver's distinctive downtown is the first scene in the latest campaign advertisement for Republican presidential hopeful Marco Rubio.

"It's morning again in America," says the narrator, an apparent homage to U.S. president Ronald Reagan's famous 'Morning in America' ad from his 1984 re-election campaign.

Problem is, in Rubio's ad a tugboat with a Canadian flag sails past Port Metro Vancouver cranes in Burrard Inlet, as the Harbour Centre and other downtown buildings stand in the background.

Vancouver-based videographer Guy Chavasse says he shot the scene late last August from a viewing tower in North Vancouver. 

"It's pretty funny, isn't it?" he said. "It's a good-looking video, no doubt, but it's pretty recognizable as Vancouver."

Chavasse said he's been working as a freelancer for the past year or two, posting his material on stock photo and video sites. He thinks Rubio's campaign staff probably paid about $80 US or more for the short clip, depending on the licencing agreement. 

"I don't actually get to see where my videos get used, I just put them online," he said. 

Chavasse said he had no idea his video was being used in the campaign. 

"Well, I had a good laugh ... I'm not exactly a big Republican fan or a Rubio supporter," he said, adding he wasn't against it being used for the campaign.

"It's always cool to see your stuff being used."

CBC News has contacted Marco Rubio's campaign to speak about Vancouver's appearance in the video, but has yet to hear back.