• The New York Times, Tuesday, June 3, 2008 10:30 AM

Mr. Bill -- the small clay figure who first appeared in "Saturday Night Live" short films three decades ago -- is being revived as a debit-card holder who gets roughed up but keeps on going in a new spot for MasterCard's "Priceless" campaign.

The 30-second spot casts Mr. Bill as an urban professional on his daily routine: Mr. Hands pours hot coffee on him ("coffee: $2"), a personal trainer launches him off a treadmill ("gym: $59/mo."), and an opened briefcase flips him onto the windshield of a city bus ("briefcase: $120"). Mr. Bill, rolling with the endless punches, just enjoys the ride home: "Making it through the day: priceless."

Mr. Bill made his debut on "Saturday Night Live" on NBC in 1976 when his creator, Walter Williams, won the show's home video contest using a reel of film that he shot in his living room with a budget of $10. Part of the idea is that baby boomers who made "oh nooooo!" jokes in their college dorms will remember Mr. Bill fondly, and younger people to whom the shorts are ancient history will enjoy seeing him get abused.

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