A company called Campaign US put together 32 of the most popular American television commercials from the past 25 years and after a bracket-style voting shootout, the Jeep 2020 Super Bowl ad titled “Groundhog Day”, starring Bill Murray, was voted the Best American Ad of the 21st Century. We are only a quarter of a way through the 21st century, so there could be a better ad that comes along in the next 75 years but for now, the voters have picked Jeep’s work with Murry and a stuffed groundhog as the best of this century.
To be named the Best American Ad of the 21st Century, Jeep and Groundhog Day had to beat out 31 of the most popular commercials on a March Madness style bracket, with the general public voting on each of the matchups along the way. In the finals, Jeep beat out a Snickers ad with Betty White from 2010 to claim the title. There were only two other automotive commercials in the competition – a Kia ad from 2022 and a Fiat ad titled “Blue Pill”, which ran during the Super Bowl back in 2015. Click here for a look at the Campaign US bracket to get a look at the 31 other commercials with which Jeep competed.
“If I had to live one production over and over again, I would have to choose ‘Groundhog Day.’ It was rooted in magic from the very beginning,” said Olivier Francois, global chief marketing officer, Stellantis. “From serendipitously meeting Bill Murray five years before learning that Groundhog Day fell on Super Bowl Sunday for the second time in 54 years, to the hunt to find him and getting him to say ‘yes’ and bringing with him fellow castmates Bob Doyle and Stephen Tobolowsky, it still feels like a dream. We’re delighted by the recognition from Campaign US and our fans who voted, and we’d like nothing better than to share in the excitement with our star Bill Murray, but we can’t seem to locate him to tell him the good news! But we’re sure he’d be thrilled.”
The Groundhog Day ad was an immediate hit, winning USA Today’s AdMeter competition for the 2020 Super Bowl, beating out 61 other commercials during the game while also being the most-watched Super Bowl ad online from that year. It would go on to be nominated for an Emmy for Outstanding Commercial as well.
You can watch both versions of the Jeep commercial below, including the shorter spot that played during the Super Bowl and the longer version that was available online. It is a pretty fantastic commercial, especially for those of you who are also fans of Bill Murray and the movie Groundhog Day.
Patrick Rall is a professional writer and photographer with a passion for all things automotive. Having grown up in his father’s performance shop, he spent extensive time at the oval track and drag strip – both driving and wrenching on various types of vehicles. In addition to working as a writer, Patrick previously worked as an automotive technician before moving on to a business office position with a chain of dealerships, and this broad spectrum of experience in the industry allows him to offer a unique look on the automotive world. Follow Patrick on Twitter, Facebook and on Youtube.
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