Creative Hall of Fame
Joe Pytka
Inducted: 2012
Joe Pytka is creator of some of the best and most well-known television commercials ever made. Pytka has directed more than 5,000 ads for some of the world’s largest corporations, and earned many awards and nominations including three Directors Guild of America Commercial Direction Awards and 15 nominations. Over the past three decades, his stylized images have wedged themselves into the American consciousness, and his commercials for clients such as Budweiser, Pepsi, McDonald's and NFL have aired more than 30 times during the Super Bowl telecast. Those include Madonna’s infamous Pepsi commercial, “Make a Wish,” a frying egg demonstrating “This is your brain on drugs,” Ray Charles’ “Uh-huh” for Pepsi, Bo Jackson’s “Bo knows” for Nike, among many others. As a filmmaker, Pytka directed Let It Ride starring Richard Dreyfuss, and the hit Space Jam with Michael Jordan and Bugs Bunny. He’s also made music videos such as The Beatles “Free as a Bird,” John Lennon’s “Starting Over,” Michael Jackson’s “Dirty Diana” and “The Way You Make Me Feel."
Selecting highlights from a library of over 5,000 commercials is no easy feat, but here we present several of Joe's favorite picks from his prolific career.
Selecting highlights from a library of over 5,000 commercials is no easy feat, but here we present several of Joe's favorite picks from his prolific career.
23 vs. 39
Agency: Element 79 Partners / Chicago
Client: Gatorade Category: Consumer Television / Consumer Television Over :30 Single
Year: 2004
Award:
2004 Advertising Merit Award
Agency:
Element 79 Partners / Chicago
Client:
Gatorade
Title:
23 vs. 39
Category:
Consumer Television / Consumer Television Over :30 Single
Annual ID:
04436A
Award:
2000 Advertising Bronze Pencil
Agency:
Wieden + Kennedy / Portland
Client:
Stamps.com
Title:
Category:
Consumer Television / Consumer Television Varying Lengths: Campaign
Annual ID:
00_0098A
Award:
2000 Advertising Merit Award
Agency:
Wieden + Kennedy / Portland
Client:
AltaVista
Title:
Category:
Consumer Television / Consumer Television Varying Lengths: Campaign
Annual ID:
00_0680A
Award:
2000 Advertising Merit Award
Agency:
Wieden + Kennedy / Portland
Client:
AltaVista
Title:
Category:
Consumer Television / Consumer Television Over :30 Single
Annual ID:
00_0588A
Award:
2000 Advertising Merit Award
Agency:
Wieden + Kennedy / Portland
Client:
AltaVista
Title:
Category:
Consumer Television / Consumer Television Over :30 Single
Annual ID:
00_0590A
Award:
2000 Advertising Merit Award
Agency:
Wieden + Kennedy / Portland
Client:
AltaVista
Title:
Category:
Consumer Television / Consumer Television :30 Single
Annual ID:
00_0644A
Award:
2000 Advertising Merit Award
Agency:
Wieden + Kennedy / Portland
Client:
Stamps.com
Title:
Category:
Consumer Television / Consumer Television :30 Single
Annual ID:
00_0653A
Award:
1999 Advertising Merit Award
Agency:
BBDO / New York
Client:
HBO
Title:
Category:
Consumer Television / Consumer Television Over :30 Single
Annual ID:
99481T
Award:
1999 Advertising Merit Award
Agency:
BBDO / New York
Client:
HBO
Title:
Category:
Consumer Television / Consumer Television Over :30 Single
Annual ID:
99482T
Award:
1999 Advertising Merit Award
Agency:
Young & Rubicam / New York
Client:
AT&T
Title:
Category:
Consumer Television / Consumer Television Over :30 Single
Annual ID:
99497T
Award:
1999 Advertising Merit Award
Agency:
Ogilvy & Mather / New York
Client:
IBM
Title:
Category:
Consumer Television / Consumer Television :30 Campaign
Annual ID:
99544T
Award:
1998 Advertising Bronze Pencil
Agency:
BBDO / New York
Client:
HBO
Title:
Category:
Consumer Television / Consumer Television Over :30 Single
Annual ID:
98056T
Award:
1997 Advertising Silver Pencil
Agency:
BBDO / New York
Client:
Pepsi-Cola Company
Title:
Category:
Consumer Television / Consumer Television Over :30 Single
Annual ID:
97_0072T
Award:
1997 Advertising Silver Pencil
Agency:
Wieden & Kennedy / Portland
Client:
Nike
Title:
Category:
Consumer Television / Consumer Television Over :30 Campaign
Annual ID:
97_0077T
Award:
1997 Advertising Merit Award
Agency:
BBDO / New York
Client:
HBO
Title:
Category:
Consumer Television / Consumer Television Over :30 Single
Annual ID:
97_0542T
Award:
1994 Advertising Gold Pencil
Agency:
Wieden+Kennedy / Amsterdam
Client:
Nike Europe
Title:
Category:
Consumer Television / Consumer Television Over :30 Single
Annual ID:
94087T