Key Takeaways
- The Clios is launching its first creator-focused awards program on Nov. 18 at the Dolby Theatre, hosted by Terry Crews.
- Creators can submit their own work alongside brand-submitted campaigns.
- Crews believes the best storytelling now happens with creators rather than traditional television.
The Clios, which have handed out advertising awards for more than 65 years, is finally rolling out the red carpet for creators.
The inaugural Clio Creator Awards will take place Nov. 18 at Los Angeles’ Dolby Theatre, with actor Terry Crews as host.
The ceremony marks the first year of Clio Creators, a new program presented by YouTube and powered by influencer marketing company Influential, honoring creative work across Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, and other platforms. The event will stream exclusively on YouTube.
The program has been in the works for about two years, and from the start, the goal was to produce a show on par with the Oscars and Grammys, according to Chris Detert, chief communications officer at Influential and executive producer of the event.
“We wanted red carpet fanfare,” Detert said.
Unlike most industry awards, Clio Creators will name the creator as the recipient. Creators can submit their own work, and brands can submit campaigns made with creators, according to the organization.
The honors range from Bronze to Grand Clio, and nearly every award will be handed out on stage by a major creator, including Jordan the Stallion, King Bach, and Trixie Mattel.
The organizers also plan to give Dhar Mann, founder of Dhar Mann Studios, the Clio Creator Impact Award, and short-form filmmaker Grace Wells, known for her series Making Epic Commercials for Random Objects, the Rising Star Award.
A natural fit
Crews and Detert first met at the Possible marketing conference in Miami, when Crews was hosting Crews Control, a YouTube series for Cadillac’s F1 team. When Detert suggested the idea, it resonated with Crews, who has maintained a multidecade career in part due to his eagerness to embrace new formats.
For Crews, who has about 25 million followers on TikTok and nearly 18 million on Instagram, the appeal is that creators are now where much of the best storytelling happens.
“Brands and ads have taken the place of sitcoms,” he told ADWEEK. “I get most of my great laughs from ads, rather than television shows. Most of the time I get it from these great creators who are doing these hilarious videos.”
Crews has already worked with Mann, one of this year’s honorees, in a philanthropic venture, he said.
The legacy of the Clios reinforces the concept that the quality of the work, rather than follower counts, is what matters most, according to Crews.
“This is not about numbers and volume,” he said. “This is about how creative these guys are. I think that is the most important thing: to treat everyone there as an artist.”
