A new ad from Republican presidential candidate Marco Rubio, criticizing the Obama administration, is taking flak online for its opening shot.

The ad titled "Morning Again" – inspired by a Ronald Reagan campaign ad from 1984 which uses the same opening line – opens with a scenic harbour shot. However, the idyllic image of tugboats and the ocean isn’t America.

It's actually a glimpse of downtown Vancouver, B.C. seen across the Burrard Inlet.

The city's Harbour Centre as well as cranes at Port Metro Vancouver can be seen in the three-second shot.

To add insult to injury, the Canadian flag can be seen flying off one of the tugboats sailing across the screen.

Residents were quick to poke fun at the inclusion of Vancouver in the staunchly conservative presidential candidate's folksy American ad.

If you like our #Vancouver skyline @marcorubio, u should try our public healthcare, banking system, affordable education, livable cities... — Brent Toderian (@BrentToderian) February 16, 2016

It's not just Hollywood outsourcing Vancouver as a stand-in for America, Marco Rubio is using a shot of our home in his latest ad. Aww. — Pia Guerra (@PiaGuerra) February 16, 2016

Hahaha! Hey Marco Rubio, this ad of yours has Vancouver leading it off. I bet there's a rainbow flag somewhere... https://t.co/i6UdPaWNHO — Mike Magee (@MikeMagee) February 16, 2016

Some joked about the more sinister overtones of a Canadian city appearance.

@marcorubio are you planning to annex Canada? That city at the start of your video is Vancouver, BC. — Ken Behrmann (@kenbehrmann) February 16, 2016

The video appears to have originated from a Shutterstock account, with the incriminating footage tagged as New York, San Francisco and Vancouver.

The photographer who shot the video says he sees the humour in the situation.

"Well I found it pretty funny at first, not the video, but the fact that my work was being used in this context, and a bit flattering, only being an amateur camera guy," Guy Chavasse told CTVNews.ca.

He says he filmed the scene in August and didn't put the location of the shoot in the original description of the clip. However, he thought the Canadian flag fluttering was a heavy hint.

Despite the embarrassment for Rubio, this isn't the first time Vancouver has been mistaken for a foreign locale.

In 2013, a brochure advertising apartment buildings in Weihai, China used photos of the Burrard Street Bridge and False Creek in a bid to lure buyers.