• by Tanya Gazdik , 5 hours ago

Stellantis’ Jeep brand isn’t going to be in the Big Game this year, but that didn’t stop the company from offering up an over-the-top creative spot, the first for the redesigned 2026 Jeep Cherokee.

The online spot, called “Billy Goes to the River,” casts its fishing line into social media waters during the advertising industry’s biggest week, looking to catch the prize for the best creative that’s not in the Big Game, according to the automaker. 

The spot is “very Jeep” and might be more “Super Bowl” than the actual spots that are being teased, according to Olivier Francois, global CMO of Stellantis. 

“I've been watching everything that is announced as being Super Bowl,” Francois told the media during a conference call to show off the new creative and discuss why the brand is sitting out the Big Game this year. 

Francois says the Super Bowl creative he has seen thus far is “lots of super-cute, but a bit empty, stuff. So what we wanted was to do the opposite. So fun, yes, but purposeful, something really intentional, and very Jeep, obviously. So I think that's exactly what a Super Bowl commercial should be.”

Stellantis joins other big brands who have previously advertised on the Big Game but are sitting out this year, including automakers Hyundai and Kia. 

The spot, from Highdive Advertising, features a nostalgic nod to the 1990s with Billy Big Mouth Bass, an animatronic singing novelty item invented by Gemmy Industries in 1998. In real life, the wall mounted fake fish sings Al Green's "Take Me to the River" and Bobby McFerrin's "Don't Worry, Be Happy.”

The longform spot begins as a sweet father-son drive, sparked by the boy’s mission to fulfill Billy Bass’s request to “take me to the river.” But the creative takes a turn viewers won’t see coming.

After being released and starting to swim away, the fish is snatched up by a bear who tries to eat it, only to unveil its wires. The bear throws it aside and it lands on the nearby shore.

The fish emphatically declares it is still alive, only to have an eagle swoop in and take off with it as the fish continues to scream for help. 

The eagle’s appearance in the ad is a nod to the endeavor Jeep is putting its money into this year, America’s 250th anniversary celebrations. 

“Jeep and the bald eagle share the same instinct: born wild and driven by freedom,” Francois tells Marketing Daily. “Jeep has been nominated the most patriotic brand in America for the 24th year in a row. So the bald eagle is logical in our commercial.”

The commercial infuses AI-forward methodology through Parliament, an AI-forward post-production company, marrying practical effects and CG elements to create the most realistic sequences with real footage. All of the animals featured are digital generations — no real animals were used in the spot. 

The voice of the fish was created using the original singing fish's voice and AI, Francois says. 

Big Mouth Billy Bass sold hundreds of thousands of units in its initial run, becoming one of the most defining novelty items of the late ’90s and early 2000s.  The fish has been owned by cultural icons including Queen Elizabeth II and President Clinton, and featured in pop culture staples like "The Sopranos" and "The Simpsons."

Jeep is releasing a limited-edition Big Mouth Billy Bass, complete with exclusive Jeep branding. When asked if a Big Mouth Billy Bass-branded Jeep Cherokee was a possibility, Jeep Chief Operation Officer Bob Broderdorf laughed in response. 

"If everybody wants a Billy Bass version, and I can sell a lot of cars, I guess we'll have to talk to design," he said.

The spot was directed by O Positive director Jim Jenkins, who directed the Jeep brand’s smash hit, Emmy Award-nominated Super Bowl commercial “Groundhog Day.” 

Highdive was behind another Jeep spot, “Wild Thoughts," which also features talking animals.