• by Laurie Sullivan , Staff Writer @lauriesullivan, February 10, 2025

Bill Murray appeared in a quick 15-second Super Bowl ad for Yahoo on Sunday -- the first one the company has run in more than two decades. Two decades ago, when Yahoo ran its last Super Bowl ad, artificial intelligence didn't exist in advertising. It does now.

In the spot, Murray looks into a mirror, sees a dog, and says, “Have you ever looked in the mirror and not seen yourself? I don’t think I need professional help, but a skilled amateur, maybe? Little help?”

Murray then holds up his email address -- Billhimself@yahoo.com -- which works.

The ad did not run nationally, but rather regionally in local markets throughout the evening.

Google did something similar as a new approach to this year's Super Bowl ad by putting the spotlight on 50 small business owners across the U.S., with one in every state.

When someone sends Murray an email, the address responds with a generic response.

“Thanks for emailing.

Sure you're thinking, what's this Murray doing in the middle of the game? Is he broke now? The usual gambling problems? Ugly divorce? Understandable reaction but this is not purely a big money sell out. There's also a dog in my mirror! A real dog where my face should be and always has been.

So kindly absorb that horror, just walk 1 mile in my paws.

Woke up earlier, slept well then sat quietly did some stretching, used the rumble roller and thought, "OK another great day to scrub my teeth." And, hello! Right in the mirror not the face I know so well, but a mutt. I really don't care that he's not a pedigree, but...he is a dog. What did the man say, a dog has taken my place, my face place.

This dog right here.”

Here's the big question: How long had this ad been in the works and why didn't Yahoo use AI to personalize responses? Mobile is a huge focus for Yahoo, along with email.

It would have been much more effective if Yahoo had spent the time and money to design a campaign that would have allowed AI to answer and personalize each email.

Google Gemini, Microsoft Copilot or ChatGPT can help compose emails, but third-party keyboards like Wordtune, Microsoft SwiftKey, and Grammarly use AI to help write or rewrite text based on descriptions and context.  

The spot was co-written by Murray in collaboration with his brother, actor and comedian Brian Doyle-Murray, and frequent collaborator, writer, director, and producer Mitch Glazer. 

His story is told in three parts, including original videos and photos. Later during the game, viewers could tune into Yahoo's “BillCam” on Yahoo.com and Yahoo Sports on desktop or mobile, where Bill went live as he responded to emails from some of the viewers.

It's all very entertaining, but would have been so much more interactive if Yahoo had added AI.