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.

23 vs. 39 Agency: Element 79 Partners / Chicago Client: Gatorade Category: Consumer Television / Consumer Television Over :30 Single Year: 2004
Agency: Wieden + Kennedy / Portland Client: Stamps.com Category: Consumer Television / Consumer Television Varying Lengths: Campaign Year: 2000
Agency: Wieden + Kennedy / Portland Client: AltaVista Category: Consumer Television / Consumer Television Varying Lengths: Campaign Year: 2000
Agency: Wieden + Kennedy / Portland Client: AltaVista Category: Consumer Television / Consumer Television Over :30 Single Year: 2000
Agency: Wieden + Kennedy / Portland Client: AltaVista Category: Consumer Television / Consumer Television Over :30 Single Year: 2000
Agency: Wieden + Kennedy / Portland Client: AltaVista Category: Consumer Television / Consumer Television :30 Single Year: 2000
Agency: Wieden + Kennedy / Portland Client: Stamps.com Category: Consumer Television / Consumer Television :30 Single Year: 2000
Agency: BBDO / New York Client: HBO Category: Consumer Television / Consumer Television Over :30 Single Year: 1999
Agency: BBDO / New York Client: HBO Category: Consumer Television / Consumer Television Over :30 Single Year: 1999
Agency: Young & Rubicam / New York Client: AT&T Category: Consumer Television / Consumer Television Over :30 Single Year: 1999
Agency: Ogilvy & Mather / New York Client: IBM Category: Consumer Television / Consumer Television :30 Campaign Year: 1999
Agency: BBDO / New York Client: HBO Category: Consumer Television / Consumer Television Over :30 Single Year: 1998
Agency: BBDO / New York Client: Pepsi-Cola Company Category: Consumer Television / Consumer Television Over :30 Single Year: 1997
Agency: Wieden & Kennedy / Portland Client: Nike Category: Consumer Television / Consumer Television Over :30 Campaign Year: 1997
Agency: BBDO / New York Client: HBO Category: Consumer Television / Consumer Television Over :30 Single Year: 1997
Agency: Wieden+Kennedy / Amsterdam Client: Nike Europe Category: Consumer Television / Consumer Television Over :30 Single Year: 1994

2004 Advertising Merit Award

Element 79 Partners / Chicago

Gatorade

23 vs. 39

Consumer Television / Consumer Television Over :30 Single

04436A

2000 Advertising Bronze Pencil

Wieden + Kennedy / Portland

Stamps.com

Consumer Television / Consumer Television Varying Lengths: Campaign

00_0098A

2000 Advertising Merit Award

Wieden + Kennedy / Portland

AltaVista

Consumer Television / Consumer Television Varying Lengths: Campaign

00_0680A

2000 Advertising Merit Award

Wieden + Kennedy / Portland

AltaVista

Consumer Television / Consumer Television Over :30 Single

00_0588A

2000 Advertising Merit Award

Wieden + Kennedy / Portland

AltaVista

Consumer Television / Consumer Television Over :30 Single

00_0590A

2000 Advertising Merit Award

Wieden + Kennedy / Portland

AltaVista

Consumer Television / Consumer Television :30 Single

00_0644A

2000 Advertising Merit Award

Wieden + Kennedy / Portland

Stamps.com

Consumer Television / Consumer Television :30 Single

00_0653A

1999 Advertising Merit Award

BBDO / New York

HBO

Consumer Television / Consumer Television Over :30 Single

99481T

1999 Advertising Merit Award

BBDO / New York

HBO

Consumer Television / Consumer Television Over :30 Single

99482T

1999 Advertising Merit Award

Young & Rubicam / New York

AT&T

Consumer Television / Consumer Television Over :30 Single

99497T

1999 Advertising Merit Award

Ogilvy & Mather / New York

IBM

Consumer Television / Consumer Television :30 Campaign

99544T

1998 Advertising Bronze Pencil

BBDO / New York

HBO

Consumer Television / Consumer Television Over :30 Single

98056T

1997 Advertising Silver Pencil

BBDO / New York

Pepsi-Cola Company

Consumer Television / Consumer Television Over :30 Single

97_0072T

1997 Advertising Silver Pencil

Wieden & Kennedy / Portland

Nike

Consumer Television / Consumer Television Over :30 Campaign

97_0077T

1997 Advertising Merit Award

BBDO / New York

HBO

Consumer Television / Consumer Television Over :30 Single

97_0542T

1994 Advertising Gold Pencil

Wieden+Kennedy / Amsterdam

Nike Europe

Consumer Television / Consumer Television Over :30 Single

94087T

 

 

 

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