Clover Sonoma Chooses 2019 Billboard Contest Grand Prize Winner
“Cows Just Wanna Have Puns” Wins $5,000 and a 2020 billboard in Punny Sonoma
Petaluma, Calif. — August 26, 2019 — Clover Sonoma, a third-generation family-owned and operated dairy, today announced the Grand Prize Winner Janet from Petaluma, with “Cows Just Wanna Have Puns” winning $5,000 and a 2020 billboard ad. With so many creative entries, we had to give nod and also make honorable mention of Danielle of Petaluma for ‘Little Clo Peep’ and Anne of Santa Rosa for ‘Double Clo Seven’.”
Some celebrate a birth-DAY, or a birth-MONTH, but Clo is having a birth-YEAR, so we are celebrating her all year long and partying until the cows come home. To honor her, we launched a billboard contest at the start of dairy month in June. We called on all punsters near and far to share in the pun for a chance to win $5,000 and have their idea drawn and placed up on a billboard. For two months (June – July 2019), we received thousands of entries. We received some extremely creative ideas, and we want to thank the community for their participation.
“It was a very difficult choice for us to pick just one!” said Clover Sonoma Chairman and CEO Marcus Benedetti. “In fact, it was so difficult we decided to add two additional runners up. We had hundreds of entries and so much heart and creativity from our Clo fans.”
Clo’s History
It’s been a long history of punny antics. In 1969, Clover debuted Clo’s friendly face to represent the brand. She was developed by Clover founder, Gene Benedetti and Lee Levinger, owner of Lee Levinger and Associates (Sonoma County’s first advertising agency). At first, the board of directors thought it was udder nonsense but they came around, and Bill Nellor, (artist for Lee Levinger and Associates) drew the first Clo billboard: Support Your Local Cow. It went up on Hwy 101 in Rohnert Park. In 1972, Jim Benefield took over and kept the puns rolling for over 25 years. Thereafter, Anne Vernon, of VeVa Communications took over and has been illustrating Clo and coming up with a lot of her witty puns ever since.
What’s on the Horizon for Clo?
We plan to have the winner’s pun illustrated by end of this year for launch in 2020. In the meantime, we are closing out Clo’s birthday year with a published children’s book, called “Pasture Bedtime”. It should be out in time for Christmas shopping and will make a great gift for any kid or Clo fan. We actually received quite a few contest submissions for that pun, so it’s good to know we were on the right track. All proceeds will go towards a charity in support of children’s literacy, as part of our Clover Cares program. We’re excited to give back to the community in this way and continue Clo’s legacy with the next generation.
About Clover Sonoma
Third-generation family-owned and operated, Clover Sonoma is recognized as a leader at the forefront of the dairy industry. The Petaluma-based company in Northern California’s beautiful Sonoma County was the first dairy in the United States to become American Humane Certified, and hold its partnership of family-owned dairy farms to a higher standard by developing its own unique Clover Promise of Excellence. Clover Sonoma is proud to bring conscious dairy products direct from its farms to consumers. Now a Certified B Corporation®, the company uses its business as a power to do good, and its passionate support of animal welfare, sustainable business practices, and local community have always been hallmarks of the business. Each year, the company gives back at least five percent of its profits to support these passions under its Clover Cares program. For more information, please visit www.cloversonoma.com and join the conversation on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest and YouTube.
