• by Tanya Gazdik , Yesterday

Jeep’s quirky social media spot starring Big Mouth Billy Bass and the 2026 Jeep Cherokee hybrid has been viewed more than 20 million times across the automaker’s social media channels.

"Billy Goes to the River" was named the top automotive performer for YouTube AdBlitz 2026, with the commercial rising to the top based on a combination of views, engagement, likes and shares.  

The commercial takes viewers on what starts as a sweet father-son drive when the young boy innocently seeks to fulfill Billy’s request to “take (him) to the river,” and it ends with far (far) less than expected results.

"Our intentional effort to make a splash during the advertising industry’s biggest week showed that we don’t always need to be in the Big Game to make our brands shine," said Olivier Francois, global chief marketing officer, Stellantis, in a release. 

The almost two-minute video has been so well-received that Stellantis is rolling it out across television as a 30-second commercial to support the launch campaign for the 2026 Jeep Cherokee.

Per YouTube, “every year, people turn to YouTube to rewatch and share their favorite highlights surrounding the Big Game, especially the ads. To celebrate the best brands breaking through, we host a competition for the top performing commercials on AdBlitz, our Super Bowl ads and teasers hub. The list is based on a combination of views and engagements from February 1 through 12 at midnight ET, highlighting both in-game and digital-first advertisers.”

The No. 1 automotive ranking for the Jeep brand, featuring the all-new 2026 Jeep Cherokee hybrid, bested the efforts of the three automotive brands advertising in the Big Game (Toyota, Volkswagen and Cadillac.)