Before he became Clive, our character had a different name—but it didn’t quite capture the charm and personality we were going for. In a rare moment where this art director had a copywriting idea worth sharing, I pitched the name Take 5 Clive, and to my surprise… it stuck.

It had a nice rhythm, felt memorable without trying too hard, and gave the character a unique identity that aligned perfectly with the brand’s tone. The name helped elevate Clive from a one-off comedy moment to a character with real staying power—someone audiences could connect with and instantly associate with Take 5’s fast, friendly service.

What makes Clive different from other familiar brand characters—like Flo from Progressive or Jake from State Farm—is that he doesn’t work for the company. He represents the consumer—the busy dad, the everyday driver—experiencing the magic of Take 5 for the first time. And that’s what makes him relatable. Clive’s not here to sell you something—he’s here to be surprised right along with you.

We launched with two spots (as well as surrounding social, audio, & OOH) that dropped Clive into everyday scenarios (running late, family road trip chaos) and let his personality shine. The tone: smart, quirky, and just the right mix of dad-joke energy and genuine charm. Clive’s over-the-top disbelief let us spotlight Take 5’s service in a way that’s fun to watch and easy to remember.

One of the most interesting parts of this campaign was building the world around Clive—who he is, what he likes, and how he sounds. Since we knew he’d be a recurring character, we wanted to create a signature musical moment—a little sonic branding to make his appearances feel distinct.

We teamed up with a music production house to develop a playful, Seinfeld-esque sting for his intro and outro. The brief? Have fun with it. The result? About 30 wildly creative options that we narrowed down to the quirky, unmistakable jingle you hear in the spots today. It’s a small detail, but it helped bring Clive’s world to life—and made his entrance (and exit) just a little more iconic.

• Agency: Dagger

• ECD: Lance Krall

• CD: Melanie Malone

• ACD Art Director: Ansel Wright

• Sr. Copywriter: Caroline Lancaster

• Designer: Zoë Bennet