Bill Murray is known for being spontaneous and showing up in peculiar places, but Sunday marked a first for the elusive actor: a national commercial.
Fiat Chrysler Chief Marketing Officer Olivier Francois met Murray more than four years ago at a charity benefit in Massachusetts. The Frenchman gave a "totally fake and scripted" speech, as he describes it, followed by an unscripted Murray taking the stage and playfully making fun of the auto executive.
Francois approached Murray after the lighthearted roasting, but he knew it was a "very long shot" to ever get him to appear in any ad for the Italian-American automaker.Years went by and Murray remained on Francois' mind. But it wasn't until late last year that he thought he had the perfect opportunity to cast Murray. It was then Francois realized that the Super Bowl and Groundhog Day would be occurring on the same day for the first time in 54 years.
Months went by without a response. Francois figured Murray wasn't interested in the ad and decided the company would not advertise during the Super Bowl for a second year in a row. Fiat Chrysler CMO Olivier Francois with actor Bill Murray during the filming of the Jeep brand's 2020 Super Bowl commercial.when Francois received a call from Murray agreeing to do the ad, saying it was "a once in a lifetime opportunity," according to Francois.
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