The Clio Entertainment Awards (formerly the Key Art Awards) is an awards program by

Clio In Greek mythology, Clio ( , ; ), also spelled Kleio, Сleio, or Cleo, is the muse of history, or in a few mythological accounts, the muse of lyre-playing. Etymology Clio's name is derived from the Greek root κλέω/κλείω (meaning ...

that recognizes "excellence in marketing and communications" across the

entertainment industry Entertainment is a form of activity that holds the attention and Interest (emotion), interest of an audience or gives pleasure and delight. It can be an idea or a task, but it is more likely to be one of the activities or events that have deve ...

—i.e., the industries of film, television, live entertainment, and gaming. The awards were originally presented by ''

The Hollywood Reporter ''The Hollywood Reporter'' (''THR'') is an American digital and print magazine which focuses on the Cinema of the United States, Hollywood film industry, film, television, and entertainment industries. It was founded in 1930 as a daily trade pap ...

'' from 1972 as the "Key Art Awards", which recognized creative achievements in the industry of

film promotion Film promotion is the practice of promotion specifically in the film industry, and usually occurs in coordination with the process of film distribution. Sometimes this is called the press junket or film junket. Film promotion generally include ...

, such as

posters A poster is a large sheet that is placed either on a public space to promote something or on a wall as decoration. Typically, posters include both textual and graphic elements, although a poster may be either wholly graphical or wholly text. ...

and other promotional materials (hence the name ''

key art Key art, also known as key visual, is the artwork which is repeated across media such as posters, print, television and digital advertisements, streaming or download thumbnails, and game or film DVD/Blu-Ray box covers. Key visuals are defined in ...

''). They were incorporated into the Clio Awards in 2014 and renamed the Clio Key Art Awards, prior to reaching its current title.

History

Key Art Awards

The establishment of the Key Art Awards was preceded by significant changes in the world of film promotion. During the late 1960s, film-marketing operations were based at studio offices in

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York New York may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * ...

, with trailers distributed to theaters by the

National Screen Service The National Screen Service (NSS) was a company that controlled the distribution of theatrical advertising materials in the United States from approximately 1940 through the 1980s. It was located in Englewood, New Jersey. NSS was formed in 1920 to ...

. Independent marketing agencies soon began to emerge to service the studios, eventually making their way to

Los Angeles Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...

, where an industry of dozens of companies became established. The Key Art Awards were founded in 1971 by publisher Tichi Wilkerson Miles of ''

'' (THR). In May 1972, in announcing the new awards, Wilkerson Miles outlined the awards' mission statement: "The Hollywood Reporter proposes to honor an unsung group of artists, the talented men and women responsible for the conception and creation of the two-dimensional graphics which sell motion pictures and television programs." The first ceremony was held in the backyard of Wilkerson Miles' home, with less than 100 people. In its first year, the awards program honored only North American

film poster A film poster is a poster used to promote and advertise a film primarily to persuade paying customers into a theater to see it. Studios often print several posters that vary in size and content for various domestic and international markets. The ...

s, slowly adding print categories for subsequent editions—hence the title "

". The first six Award finalists were revealed on the front page of the July 17, 1972, edition of THR. Four posters by

Bill Gold William Gold (January 3, 1921 – May 20, 2018) was an American graphic designer best known for thousands of film poster designs. During his 70-year career, Gold worked with some of Hollywood's greatest filmmakers, including Laurence Olivier, Cl ...

were among the six finalists: "

A Clockwork Orange ''A Clockwork Orange'' may refer to: * ''A Clockwork Orange'' (novel), a 1962 novel by Anthony Burgess ** ''A Clockwork Orange'' (film), a 1971 film directed by Stanley Kubrick based on the novel *** ''A Clockwork Orange'' (soundtrack), the film ...

", "

Dorian Gray ''The Picture of Dorian Gray'' is an 1890 philosophical fiction and Gothic horror novel by Irish writer Oscar Wilde. A shorter novella-length version was published in the July 1890 issue of the American periodical ''Lippincott's Monthly M ...

", "

The Night Visitor ''The Night Visitor'' is a 1971 American psychological thriller film, shot at Copenhagen's Asa and Laterna Studios in 1970, starring Max von Sydow, Liv Ullmann, Trevor Howard, Per Oscarsson, Rupert Davies and Andrew Keir, and directed by Lászl� ...

", and "

There Was a Crooked Man "There Was a Crooked Man" is an English nursery rhyme. It has a Roud Folk Song Index number of 4826. Origin The rhyme was first recorded in print by James Orchard Halliwell in 1842: There was a crooked man, and he went a crooked mile, H ...

". The remaining two were "

Kotch ''Kotch'' is a 1971 American comedy-drama film directed by Jack Lemmon and starring Walter Matthau, Deborah Winters, Felicia Farr (Lemmon's wife), Charles Aidman and Ellen Geer. Adapted by John Paxton from Katharine Topkins's 1965 novel, ...

" and the one-sheet for "

Johnny Got His Gun ''Johnny Got His Gun'' is an anti-war novel written in 1938 by American novelist Dalton Trumbo and published in September 1939 by J. B. Lippincott. The novel won one of the early National Book Awards: the Most Original Book of 1939. A 1971 f ...

", with the latter taking the top prize. In 1973, the program added an international poster category, with "" as its first winner; in 1976, the section was split into

Europe Europe is a continent located entirely in the Northern Hemisphere and mostly in the Eastern Hemisphere. It is bordered by the Arctic Ocean to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the west, the Mediterranean Sea to the south, and Asia to the east ...

an and

Orient The Orient is a term referring to the East in relation to Europe, traditionally comprising anything belonging to the Eastern world. It is the antonym of the term ''Occident'', which refers to the Western world. In English, it is largely a meto ...

al (renamed "Asian" in 1987 and "Far Eastern" in 1988) poster groups; in 1980, a Latin American category was added in 1980; and in 1992, the geographic divisions were finally dropped. In 1975, the first poster advertising a television program— ''M*A*S*H''—was submitted; such submissions would continue to be accepted until 1989. By 1977, and for a decade after, the ceremony was held at the

California Museum of Science and Industry California () is a state in the Western United States that lies on the Pacific Coast. It borders Oregon to the north, Nevada and Arizona to the east, and shares an international border with the Mexican state of Baja California to the sout ...

downtown Los Angeles Downtown Los Angeles (DTLA) is the central business district of the city of Los Angeles. It is part of the Central Los Angeles region and covers a area. As of 2020, it contains over 500,000 jobs and has a population of roughly 85,000 residents ...

. In 1978, a "Special Programming" category was added to recognize film-festival and retrospective campaigns. In 1980, an "Electronic Exhibition" category was added to recognize film ads on radio and television. In 1986, the program began formal recognition of trailer work, as well as

standee A standee is a large self-standing display promoting a movie, product or event, or Point of sale display, point-of-sale advertising, often in the form of a life-size cut-out figure. They are typically made of Paperboard, foam-board, and may ran ...

s and

billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertis ...

s. Among nine nominated trailers that year, Michael Shapiro’s entry for ''

The Jewel of the Nile ''The Jewel of the Nile'' is a 1985 American action-adventure romantic comedy film directed by Lewis Teague and produced by Michael Douglas, who also starred in the lead role, reuniting with co-stars Kathleen Turner and Danny DeVito, reprising ...

'' became the first to win in the trailer category. The awards were later maintained and advanced by THR editor-in-chief and publisher Robert J. Dowling, who went on to receive the "Key Art Special Recognition Award" in 2006. In 1989, the program added a "Video Point of Sale" category in response to the advent of

home video Home video is recorded media sold or Video rental shop, rented for home viewing. The term originates from the VHS and Betamax era, when the predominant medium was videotapes, but has carried over to optical disc formats such as DVD and Blu-ray. ...

sweeping Hollywood, along with an award for video packaging the following year. In 1990, the program's 19th edition, the ceremony was moved to the headquarters of the

Directors Guild of America The Directors Guild of America (DGA) is an entertainment guild that represents the interests of Film director, film and Television director, television directors in the United States motion picture industry and abroad. Founded as the Screen Dir ...

in Los Angeles, where it would remain for 9 years. The ceremony then moved to the

Kodak Theatre The Eastman Kodak Company, referred to simply as Kodak (), is an American public company that produces various products related to its historic basis in film photography. The company is headquartered in Rochester, New York, and is incorporated i ...

(now Dolby Theatre). The program's "Lifetime Achievement Award" was introduced in 1991, with its first recipient being designer

Saul Bass Saul Bass (; May 8, 1920 – April 25, 1996) was an American graphic designer and Academy Awards, Oscar-winning filmmaker, best known for his design of motion-picture title sequences, film posters, and logo, corporate logos. During his 4 ...

. In 1999, an Internet category was introduced, with

Sony is a Japanese multinational conglomerate (company), conglomerate headquartered at Sony City in Minato, Tokyo, Japan. The Sony Group encompasses various businesses, including Sony Corporation (electronics), Sony Semiconductor Solutions (i ...

's website for ''

The Mask of Zorro ''The Mask of Zorro'' is a 1998 American Western swashbuckler film based on the fictional character Zorro by Johnston McCulley. Directed by Martin Campbell from a screenplay by John Eskow, Ted Elliott, and Terry Rossio, it stars Anto ...

'' (1998) being the first winner.

Co-branded Co-branding is a marketing strategy that involves strategic alliance of multiple brand names jointly used on a single product or service. Co-branding is an arrangement that associates a single product or service with more than one brand name, ...

print and audiovisual categories were added in 2004, as well as special-recognition sections for trailer

motion graphics Motion graphics (sometimes mograph) are pieces of animation or digital footage that create the illusion of motion or rotation, and are usually combined with audio for use in multimedia projects. Motion graphics are usually displayed via electro ...

and

copywriting Copywriting is the act or occupation of writing text for the purpose of advertising or other forms of marketing. Copywriting is aimed at selling products or services. The product, called Copy (publishing), copy or sales copy, is written content t ...

. In 2002, THR partnered with

UCLA Film and Television Archive The UCLA Film & Television Archive is a visual arts organization focused on the film preservation, preservation, film studies, study, and appreciation of film and television, based at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). As a nonpro ...

to establish the Key Art Awards Collection, in which the permanent records associated with the Awards would be held. In 2005, industry professionals voted ''The Silence of the Lambs'' poster and ''The Shining'' trailer as the best of the past 35 years. A Visionary Award was introduced in 2007, recognizing filmmakers whose work inspires film marketers. That year, the ceremony was held at the

Beverly Hilton The Beverly Hilton is a hotel located on an property at the intersection of Wilshire and Santa Monica boulevards in Beverly Hills, California, United States. The Beverly Hilton has hosted many awards shows, charity benefits, and entertainment ...

. In 2008, the event was held at the Century Plaza, and an award was introduced for "best campaign," given to the studio or distributor that implements the most successful marketing strategy. In 2010, the ceremony moved downtown to a former Roman Catholic cathedral, and a new overall award for integrated marketing was introduced. In 2011, a new award trophy was created in the form of a moveable golden searchlight by the New York firm

Society Awards Society Awards is an American company best known for designing and manufacturing high-profile entertainment industry awards, including the Emmy Award, Golden Globe Award, GLAAD Media Award, and YouTube Creator Awards, among others. History So ...

Clio Entertainment

In 2014, the Key Art Awards were acquired by the

Clio Awards The Clio Awards, also simply known as The Clios, is an annual award program that recognizes innovation and creative excellence in advertising, design, and communication, as judged by an international panel of advertising professionals. The award ...

and renamed Clio Key Art Awards, now returning to the

Dolby Theatre The Dolby Theatre (formerly known as the Kodak Theatre) is a live-performance auditorium in the Ovation Hollywood shopping mall and entertainment complex, on Hollywood Boulevard and Highland Avenue (Los Angeles), Highland Avenue, in the Holly ...

. The program would go on to be renamed in 2017 to the Clio Entertainment Awards, now dedicated to the marketing industries in film, television, live entertainment, and gaming. Being postponed in 2020 due to the

COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic (also known as the coronavirus pandemic and COVID pandemic), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), began with an disease outbreak, outbreak of COVID-19 in Wuhan, China, in December ...

, the Clio Entertainment Awards ceremony returned in 2021, where voiceover artist

Tom Kane Tom Kane (born 1962) is an American former voice actor. He is known for his work in animation and video games, most notably the ''Star Wars'' franchise. Career Kane began his voice acting career in 1977 when he was just 14 years old. Some of his ...

received an honorary Clio Entertainment Award.

Jury

During the first decade of the Key Art Awards, judging was done by a small panel of participants, mostly art academics and museum representatives (such as James Soudon, dean of the

Otis Art Institute Otis College of Art and Design is a Private university, private Art school, art and design school in Los Angeles, California, United States. Established in 1918, it was the city's first independent professional school of art. The main campus is l ...

, and

Jan Stussy Jan Stussy (1921–1990) was an American artist, film producer, and professor. He was a Emeritus, professor emeritus from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), he taught there for 42 years. He was awarded an Academy Awards, Academy Aw ...

UCLA The University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) is a public land-grant research university in Los Angeles, California, United States. Its academic roots were established in 1881 as a normal school then known as the southern branch of the C ...

art department faculty member). ''The Hollywood Reporter'' staff members and designers also participated. From 1977 to 1990, a key player in the judging process was

Pacific Theatres Pacific Theatres was an American chain of movie theaters in the Los Angeles metropolitan area of California. Pacific Theatres was owned by The Decurion Corporation which also owned and operated ArcLight Cinemas. In 2008, it sold its store loca ...

executive Robert Selig. Designer

was another notable jury member, having served from 1986 to 1989, and became the first Key Art lifetime achievement honoree in 1991. By 1993, the process was updated so that judging would be done by a panel drawn exclusively from within the marketing industry. That year's panel included 35 preliminary and 12 final judges, a total that would grow to over 300 by 2006.

References

{{Marketing navigation bar

Entertainment Entertainment is a form of activity that holds the attention and Interest (emotion), interest of an audience or gives pleasure and delight. It can be an idea or a task, but it is more likely to be one of the activities or events that have deve ...

American film awards Advertising awards The Hollywood Reporter

History

Key Art Awards

Clio Entertainment

Jury

See also

References