Anthropic and Mother Win Super Clio for Best Ad in the Big Game

Never fear, Claude AI won't serve sponsor messages when you ask about six-pack abs

This year’s Super Clio winner for the most creative commercial in the Big Game—bestowed by a jury of industry experts—mixed abs and ads to impressive effect. Mother delivered the flex for Anthropic’s Claude AI.

In the :60 below, a skinny dude doing pull-ups at the playground asks a ripped personified version of a rival company’s AI (like OpenAI’s ChatGPT) to help him develop six-pack abs. At first, the guy’s pleased with the response: “That is a clear and achievable goal. Would you like me to tailor a personalized workout plan?”

But a product pitch rudely intrudes: “Confidence isn’t just built in the gym. Try Step Boost Max, the insoles that add one vertical inch of height and help short kids stand tall.”

The kicker: “Ads are coming to AI. But not to Claude.”

“All the time, we see proof that advertising works brilliantly in the right context,” says Felix Richter, CCO at Mother. “People asking AI about their health, their relationships, their business. Then a sponsored answer. We don’t need to explain why that’s wrong. We just need to show it.”

Lensed in deadpan style by Jeff Low, the spot delivers a timely message with ample charm and narrative clarity. It addresses consumer concerns with good humor and a relatable punchline, tapping into the zeitgeist and outpacing a flurry of AI-related ads that ran during Super Bowl 60.

Two other efforts made the Super Clio shortlist: Xfinity’s Jurassic-park-themed spot from Goodby Silverstein & Partners and Levi’s “Backstory” by TBWA\Chiat\Day L.A.

Overall, “The Super Bowl spot line-up featured nostalgic puns, cheating polar bears, singing pubes and of course a healthy dose of AI,” notes juror Tiffany Rolfe, global CCO at R/GA. “We saw new brands alongside legacy brands making their first appearance in years. It made for a great balance of the unexpected and absurd, with the classic and comforting. In a world where so much is shifting, it’s a relief to see that bold human ideas still shine.”