It judges and honours advertising and creative work.
Who they are
An awards body founded in 1959, originally set up to recognise excellence in advertising and since broadened across several creative industries. Its stated purpose is celebrating bold creativity and connecting the people making it.
What they cover
Creative and commercial work across six programmes: the flagship Clio Awards for marketing and advertising, plus Clio Sports, Clio Music, Clio Entertainment, Clio Health and Clio Creators. Winning a Clio is a recognised marker of craft in the advertising world.
Format and cadence
Annual award programmes with entry periods, juries and ceremonies, run one programme at a time across the year. The organisation also publishes editorial through Muse and maintains Ads of the World, a database of advertising work.
Who it's for
Agencies, brand marketers, production companies and the creative directors who enter and judge the work, along with anyone tracking what the industry currently rates. Like ComplexCon, it is listed here for what it does for cannabis marketing rather than for anything it publishes about it.
Where to find them
The awards site is the hub, with Muse and Ads of the World as companion properties. Instagram, Facebook and LinkedIn carry the announcements and winner reels.
Background and significance
The Clio Awards is an international organization recognizing creative work across advertising, entertainment, music, sports, health and related disciplines. Cannabis companies and agencies appearing in Clio programs are being evaluated within a broader creative industry rather than only against other cannabis brands.
Distinctive role
That cross-category comparison is why Clio matters to cannabis media and marketing. Recognition can signal strength in art direction, strategy, copy, design or production beyond the category's own award circuit. Entries are submitted to a paid awards program and judged for creative merit, so a Clio result should be read as evidence of recognized craft—not as direct proof of sales performance or audience impact.