The winners of the 2019 Gold, Silver, Bronze and Shortlist Clio Awards have been announced. The 14 Clio juries reviewed thousands of submissions in film, design, print, out of home and more, and ultimately awarded just over 500 trophies.
The 2019 Clio winners were reflective of the year’s cultural flashpoints, with March for Our Lives earning a number of trophies for its “Generation Lockdown” and “The Most Vicious Cycle” campaigns by McCann New York. “The Truth Is Worth It” for The New York Times continued its dominance of the awards circuit with Gold Clio-winning entries from Droga5 and Furlined, all eligible for the coveted Grand Clio Award revealed on stage at the 60th annual awards ceremony on September 25. Ogilvy & Mather Mexico also earned a number of awards for its “A World Without Borders” campaign for Aeromexico that granted discounts to participants who were surprised to learn, through DNA testing, that they were of Mexican heritage.
“Changing the Game” by McCann New York for Microsoft was recognized for its campaign for a more inclusive gaming experience for players with disabilities, while Ruavieja, the Spanish Liquor brand, earned a number of honors for its heart-string pulling spots done by Leo Burnett Madrid that remind viewers how little time we get to spend with our loved ones. The female reproductive system made a surprisingly strong showing, with multiple wins for Germany’s “The Tampon Book: A Book Against Tax Discrimination” by Scholz & Friends Berlin GmbH and Sweden’s “Viva La Vulva” by AMVBBDO.
There was no shortage of accolades for lighter fare, among the big winners were “Broadway the Rainbow” by DDB Chicago for Skittles, and “The Whopper Detour” by FCB New York for Burger King. “Insta Novels” by Mother New York for The New York Public Library and Apple’s “Share Your Gifts” by TBWA\Media Arts Lab were recognized for their visually stunning submissions.
The Clio jury also reviewed submissions in the Budweiser Emerging Creative Award and Burger King x Student Integrated Campaign mediums and awarded the inventive work from up-and-coming talent that will be further developed by the brands and entrants as part of their specialty award prize.
McCann New York’s “The Most Vicious Cycle” was a big winner in the Clio Music program, with numerous trophies for the music video for Kesha’s single “Safe” depicting the endless cycle of gun violence in America. The John Lewis & Partners spot “The Boy and The Piano” featuring music from Elton John also took home a number of awards. Kobalt Music Group’s Apple spot “Come Out and Play” starring Billie Ellish scored gold in the Use of Music medium, while Meek Mill, Wu-Tang, Keith Richards, Ariana Grande, A$AP Rocky and Michael Bublé were among the other top artists featured in winning work.
In the Fashion & Beauty medium, Stella McCartney’s Breast Cancer Awareness campaign featuring Idris Elba, “The Non-Issue” by McCann Paris for L’Oréal Paris, “My Crayon Project” by R/GA Tokyo for Shiseido and “Beauty Mark” by Digitas for CVS Pharmacy all earned gold statues.
“It’s so fascinating to sit in the jury rooms each year and hear the perspectives of creative leaders from around the world,” said Nicole Purcell, president, The Clio Awards. “Whether it’s the design jury critiquing an innovative visual execution or the Clio Music jury digging in to why a particular piece of music makes a spot more compelling, each group has a vision for where the industry should be heading and we get to use the awards as a platform to send that message.”
Purcell continued: “This year, being our sixtieth, we heard the jury’s reflections on the history of our industry, what enduring themes have stood the test of time and how to best pave the path forward so that we can all be proud when we look back at this work 60 years from now. With all of that in mind, they determined the best-in-class submissions that earned this year’s trophies and will build upon our competition’s elite history.”
The 2019 Grand Clio award winners will be revealed at the 60th annual Clio Awards ceremony along with the Clio Lifetime Achievement Award for David Droga and the Clio Brand Icon Award, which will be granted to Barbie. The New York City event will be hosted by Andy Cohen at The Manhattan Center on September 25. For a rundown of Gold, Silver and Bronze winners, click here.