NEW YORK (February 4,2019)– Last night in Atlanta, the Patriots may have scored the Lombardi Trophy, but the big winners were announced by The Clio Awards today: the best commercial of the Super Bowl was Bud Light and HBO’s “Joust.” Following a jury panel deliberation of leading industry creatives, led this morning by non-voting commissioner Rob Reilly, the global creative chairman of McCann World Group, the 5th annual Super Clio was awarded to Wieden + Kennedy for Bud Light and Droga5 for HBO.
The :60 spot was celebrated for its unique collaboration of two beloved brands, produced by two agencies and brought to life by two directors (‘The Red Wedding’ director David Nutter and filmmaker Spencer Riviera). The suspenseful ad was a surprise for Super Bowl viewers, as one of the few that weren’t released prior to the game, and delivered big for “Game of Thrones” fans with flame throwing dragons and a #FORTHETHROWN hashtag that will surely be trending throughout the show’s final season.
The Super Clio trophy, towering above a standard Clio at 22 inches, matching the height and look of the Lombardi trophy, will be inscribed and presented to both the agencies and brands.
“Two top shelf agencies. Two iconic brands. Two uber-talented directors. A collaboration like this should have been a disaster. But when everybody checks their egos at the door, you end up with the most surprising spot of the night,” said Reilly.
The jurors deliberated about the evening’s nostalgia, escapism and purpose, and landed on four top commercials. Beyond the big winner, this year’s short list also featured: Audi “Cashew,” Burger King “#EatLikeAndy” and NFL “100 Year Game.”
“It’s great to have a jury of top industry creatives debate the Super Bowl spots—it’s fascinating to hear their insights on which work cut through the noise of the game. HBO and Bud Light’s ‘Joust’ was a clever, funny, brilliantly crafted commercial—a hilarious and timely crowd-pleaser that’s also a great example of the kind of openness and collaboration that will be useful for all brands going forward,” said Tim Nudd, Clio’s Editor-in-Chief. “Congrats to both marketers, and to Droga5 and Wieden + Kennedy, for making it happen and catching Super Bowl watchers by surprise.”
About Clio
The Clio Awards is the esteemed international awards competition for the creative business. Founded in 1959 to celebrate high achievement in advertising, the Clios annually and throughout the year recognize the work, the agencies and the talent—across advertising, spo
The Clios judging process is known for its democratic approach to recognizing creative excellence. Fewer than 20% of submissions, within a media type, survive the first two rounds, from which juries re-evaluate the work to determine Gold, Silver and Bronze statues along with the Shortlist. Less than 5% of all entries receive a statue, and less than 1% receive the coveted Gold Clio.Each jury also has the option of awarding the highest honor, the Grand Clio, to one truly exceptional piece of work in each media type from the chosen Gold statue winners.
