'Groundhog Day' Jeep Gladiator Commercial Named Best American Ad of the 21st Century [ADMIN WARNING: NO POLITICS]

[JAY]

Jeep® Brand’s 'Groundhog Day' Named Best American Ad of the 21st Century

• Jeep® brand’s iconic “Groundhog Day” 2020 Super Bowl commercial, starring Bill Murray, lives to see another day
• Campaign US randomly paired 32 ads against each other in bracket-style voting, with Jeep brand’s “Groundhog Day” coming out on top
• The Primetime Emmy-nominated commercial put a twist on original “Groundhog Day” film by featuring the automotive industry’s only open-air truck, the Jeep Gladiator, as Phil Connors’ “getaway vehicle” with the groundhog
• The Big Game and Groundhog Day fell on the same day for only the second time in the Super Bowl’s 54-year history
• The commercial won USA Today’s annual AdMeter competition, nominated for a Primetime Emmy for Outstanding Commercial, and was the most viewed Super Bowl commercial across social media channels that year

May 19, 2025 , Auburn Hills, Mich. - The Jeep® brand’s iconic 2020 Super Bowl commercial "Groundhog Day,” starring Bill Murray, captured the title of Best American Ad of the 21st Century, as decided by voters in the Campaign US inaugural Campaign Cup 2025 competition.

From March through mid-May, voters were asked by Campaign US to select their favorite ads from 16 different matchups to determine the winner. The championship round pitted the peripatetic Murray and “Groundhog Day” against the legendary Betty White and the Snickers Super Bowl commercial, “You’re Not You When You’re Hungry.”

“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.”

Francois, whose body of work, including "Groundhog Day" and "Imported from Detroit," led to his induction into the venerated Advertising Hall of Fame last year, has spoken in interviews about his pursuit of the elusive Murray, infamous for the inability to reach him. Nearly five years after first meeting Murray at a dinner of a mutual friend, and less than two weeks before the airing of the Feb. 2 Super Bowl telecast, Francois and Murray filmed the commercial that has become a classic.

The 60-second “Groundhog Day” television commercial, which aired during Super Bowl LIV on Groundhog Day, Sunday, February 2, 2020, featured Murray reprising his famous role as Phil Connors from the original 1993 film. The commercial put a twist on the original “Groundhog Day” film by featuring the Jeep Gladiator as Phil Connors’ getaway vehicle with the groundhog. The commercial was filmed in Woodstock, Illinois, the same location as the 1993 film.

Super Bowl LIV and Groundhog Day fell on the same day for only the second time in the Super Bowl’s 54-year history

The commercial was an instant hit, winning USA Today’s annual AdMeter competition (beating out 61 other ads). It was also nominated for an Emmy Award for Outstanding Commercial and was the most viewed Super Bowl commercial across social media channels that year.

On the commercial's last day of production, Murray said on the set, “This is my first commercial. I’m glad I did it with you (Jeep).” Murray then added, “And I'm glad that this is my last commercial, as well.”

The Jeep brand "Groundhog Day" campaign was created in partnership with the award-winning creative agency Highdive.

The Campaign Cup brackets include 32 ads.


Groundhog Day - Video

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[MikeNH]

This was a great spot especially when you learn of how hard it is to pitch to Bill Murray. But Chrysler has killed it with ads for a long time now. Bob Lutz driving a ZJ Grand Cherokee up the steps of Cobo in Detroit, releasing like a hundred head of cattle for the Ram unveiling in 2009, the God Made a Farmer ad with Paul Harvey and so on. I went on a tear of reading auto industry books probably a decade ago now and they said that Chrysler being #3 in Detroit meant they had to be creative and the ads definitely do that.

 

[Mister Lamb]

Sigh... When the future of the Gladiator wasn't bleak

 

[Sandman 4x4]

Jeep® Brand’s 'Groundhog Day' Named Best American Ad of the 21st Century

• Jeep® brand’s iconic “Groundhog Day” 2020 Super Bowl commercial, starring Bill Murray, lives to see another day
• Campaign US randomly paired 32 ads against each other in bracket-style voting, with Jeep brand’s “Groundhog Day” coming out on top
• The Primetime Emmy-nominated commercial put a twist on original “Groundhog Day” film by featuring the automotive industry’s only open-air truck, the Jeep Gladiator, as Phil Connors’ “getaway vehicle” with the groundhog
• The Big Game and Groundhog Day fell on the same day for only the second time in the Super Bowl’s 54-year history
• The commercial won USA Today’s annual AdMeter competition, nominated for a Primetime Emmy for Outstanding Commercial, and was the most viewed Super Bowl commercial across social media channels that year

May 19, 2025 , Auburn Hills, Mich. - The Jeep® brand’s iconic 2020 Super Bowl commercial "Groundhog Day,” starring Bill Murray, captured the title of Best American Ad of the 21st Century, as decided by voters in the Campaign US inaugural Campaign Cup 2025 competition.

From March through mid-May, voters were asked by Campaign US to select their favorite ads from 16 different matchups to determine the winner. The championship round pitted the peripatetic Murray and “Groundhog Day” against the legendary Betty White and the Snickers Super Bowl commercial, “You’re Not You When You’re Hungry.”

“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.”

Francois, whose body of work, including "Groundhog Day" and "Imported from Detroit," led to his induction into the venerated Advertising Hall of Fame last year, has spoken in interviews about his pursuit of the elusive Murray, infamous for the inability to reach him. Nearly five years after first meeting Murray at a dinner of a mutual friend, and less than two weeks before the airing of the Feb. 2 Super Bowl telecast, Francois and Murray filmed the commercial that has become a classic.

The 60-second “Groundhog Day” television commercial, which aired during Super Bowl LIV on Groundhog Day, Sunday, February 2, 2020, featured Murray reprising his famous role as Phil Connors from the original 1993 film. The commercial put a twist on the original “Groundhog Day” film by featuring the Jeep Gladiator as Phil Connors’ getaway vehicle with the groundhog. The commercial was filmed in Woodstock, Illinois, the same location as the 1993 film.

Super Bowl LIV and Groundhog Day fell on the same day for only the second time in the Super Bowl’s 54-year history

The commercial was an instant hit, winning USA Today’s annual AdMeter competition (beating out 61 other ads). It was also nominated for an Emmy Award for Outstanding Commercial and was the most viewed Super Bowl commercial across social media channels that year.

On the commercial's last day of production, Murray said on the set, “This is my first commercial. I’m glad I did it with you (Jeep).” Murray then added, “And I'm glad that this is my last commercial, as well.”

The Jeep brand "Groundhog Day" campaign was created in partnership with the award-winning creative agency Highdive.

The Campaign Cup brackets include 32 ads.


Groundhog Day - Video

Sigh... When the future of the Gladiator wasn't bleak

It’s not so much the future as the price!

 

[Sandman 4x4]

Yea this one was fantastic. With the Harrison Ford Jeep commercial having its own unique and distinctive message, especially with the Ford digger!

 

[Mightytalldude]

I post this image every year since, on Groundhog Day.

 

[DirkG]

That commercial was unbelievably effective. Well deserving of that award.

 

[Gvsukids]

waiting for this to become political and locked.

 

[DirkG]

waiting for this to become political and locked.

Yeah, we need to stay on topic peeps. I can throw the groundhog under the bus though.

 

[incogneato]

My favorite commercial, featuring my favorite vehicle and my favorite movie.

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