One thing you won’t see during the Super Bowl this year is a commercial from Stellantis because it’s chosen to focus its money and time on the upcoming 250th anniversary of the United States. However, that didn’t stop the company from creating a nearly two-minute spot for the all-new 2026 Jeep Cherokee hybrid, “Billy Bass Goes to the River,” which just happened to come out online shortly before the big game.
Yes – it’s that Billy Bass, the animatronic fish that flops and sings the 1974 Al Green song “Take Me to the River.” If your family didn’t have one on the wall when you were a kid, you probably had a friend who passed by one in his or her home every day.
The boy in Jeep’s new commercial takes Billy Bass’s command literally and asks his dad to help make it happen. The two of them load into the ’26 Cherokee, which is powered by Jeep‘s first hybrid engine, and use a chunk of its 500+ miles of range to leave the suburbs and go deep into the woods, where they eventually find the perfect place to let Billy Bass loose.
As a father, I often daydream of hopping into a Jeep with my son and going on road trips and adventures with him, so the first 58 seconds resonated with me. After that, the part of me that appreciates ridiculous, over-the-top humor had a great time (some of you might find the rest of the commercial unbearable). I won’t spoil anything for you, but I will say that the ending gives Jeep a great reason to mention that the Cherokee has 140 safety features, which include Active Driving Assist, Intersection Collision Assist, and Full-Speed Forward Collision Warning with Active Braking. I’m sure you eagle-eyed viewers out there will agree.
If you want to go on your own family adventures in the 2026 Jeep Cherokee, you can do that very soon because it’s in showrooms now, priced from $36,995 (which includes the $1,995 destination charge). Wherever you take it, just remember to keep an eye on your surroundings…
