Harrison Ford Reflects on Freedom and What Makes Him Happy in Jeep's Super Bowl Ad: 'A Rumination on Life' (Exclusive)

Mar. 15, 2025

Harrison Fordhas long forged his own path, both in life and as an Americanbig-screen legendfor nearly six decades.

Now, in a stirring commercial forJeepthat debuted during the fourth quarter ofSuper Bowl 2025on Feb. 9, the 82-year-old icon is reflecting on the value of freedom, and the importance of choosing wisely when seeking personal happiness.

“It’s just a rumination on life,” Ford tells PEOPLE exclusively of the two-minute spot, titled “Owner’s Manual.” “It’s about having control and choice in your own life, and it’s about assuming the responsibility for your own life.”

Harrison Ford in Jeep’s Super Bowl commercial.Atiba Jefferson on behalf of the Jeep brand

Atiba Jefferson on behalf of the Jeep brand

Invoking “general homilies” and offering a “distinctive” feel, Ford says, “I think [the ad] was inspired in the way that it was shot, the way that it was made. I was happy to be involved… It’s not the in-your-face big splash kind of Super Bowl commercial. It’s a soft sell.”

In truth, Ford initially turned down the gig (“You always say no at first,” he says with a laugh), but reconsidered as the project evolved. One big incentive? The chance to re-team withJames Mangold, who directed the spot. A currentBest Director Oscar nomineeforA Complete Unknown, Mangold directed Ford inIndiana Jones and the Dial of Destinyin 2023 and produced the star’s 2020 adventure filmThe Call of the Wild.

The ad’s creative “was refined and personalized,” says Ford, and with Mangold’s input, “it came out to be something that I really feel comfortable with.”

At one point, Ford gives a two-finger wave from behind the wheel and says, “You don’t have to be friends with someone to wave at ‘em,” a reference to the “Jeep Wave,” or the gesture of camaraderie and acknowledgement between Jeep Wrangler owners on the road.

“We won’t always agree on which way to go,” he says. “But our differences can be our strength.”

The company has made big Super Bowl splashes before, producing spots starring elusive artists not known for doing commercials. Some classics includeEminem’s Emmy-winning anthem to Detroit,“Imported from Detroit,“in 2011;Bill Murray’s recreation of his role fromGroundhog Dayfor a60-second adin 2020; andBruce Springsteen’s"The Middle"in 2021.

This year, Jeep’s CEO Bob Broderdorf says they got “theguy who epitomizes adventure” when booking Ford.

“Battle-born and forged in steel in 1941, the Jeep brand has represented freedom and adventure, pushing the limits, taking on the competition and overpowering every obstacle for over 80 years,” Broderdorf says in a statement. “In film, Harrison Ford has overcome the odds and flown from one side of the galaxy to the other all in the name of it, and in real life, he’s known to blaze his own trail. So yes, Ford knows a thing or two about what the Jeep brand is all about.”

“As America’s Most Patriotic Brand for the last 23 years running, it only makes sense for the Jeep brand to continue to be one of the industry’s greatest creative supporters of the big game,” he adds. “And there was no greater stage to have Ford admit to America just how happy Jeep makes him.”

While Ford says doing a Super Bowl ad is “a great opportunity,” he isn’t paying it much mind come game day. “We’re just going to be there, eating and drinkin’ like everybody else,” he says of focusing on theKansas City Chiefs-Philadelphia Eagles show-downwithout distraction. “I’m there to watch the game.”

Ford adds, with his classic playful slyness, “I’ve seen the commercial. I know how it ends.”

source: people.com