American Express representatives sought interest in filming two University alumni for their national commercial after noticing their unusual credit card statements and transactions involving snack and robots.

Alumni Mike Blasko and John Kaplan are the founders of a company called Weigl Works, a leading manufacturer of electronic control devices typically used for amusement parks and attractions.

Because the two are constantly on the road, they invested in a program called ReceiptMatch that is run through American Express and links images of receipts to online statements.

“I use American Express a lot, so this made sense,” said Blasko, co-founder of Weigl Works.

Weigl Works’s main customer, Life Formation, is located in Bowling Green, which is the main reason they chose this location for shooting the commercial.

“A lot of what we make are specific electronics and Life Formations has been a great customer for us,” Blasko said. “We also have another main customer in Bowling Green and we are both graduates of the University, so it felt right.”

Shooting a commercial was very new and exciting for the two, but required long hours in front of a camera.

“It was very exciting and fun, of course, but it was also very interesting because we stood in front of the camera for a good 24 hours for different shots, which became quite tiring,” he said. “It was well worth it, though.”

The commercial is aired on television and on radio through multiple networks.

“It has helped our business a substantial amount, which we are grateful for,” Blasko said.