The Moment a TV Spot Won the Grand Prix for the First Time in Advertising History / CALO PET FOOD CO. "TIRED DOG"

The problem

In 1950s America, pet food was a rapidly growing market. Until then, owners had been feeding their pets table scraps and meat, but this was the era when the "convenience" of canned and dry food was starting to take over.

The idea

After "Cannes 1959," "TIRED DOG," and "(U.S.A.)" appear on a black screen, a big, shaggy dog lets out a huge yawn and flops down. A little dog comes bouncing over to invite him to play, but all the big dog does is complain about how rough he feels. His fur is falling out, he feels sick, even his bones are tired—he's worn out from head to toe. Seeing this, the little dog pulls out a can of CALO DOG FOOD and tells him what he needs is a proper, square meal. As the narrator explains the well-balanced contents—meat, vegetables, vitamins, wheat germ—the big dog happily gobbles up everything in the can. Satisfied, he declares, "CALO is just my meat," and the spot ends on a playful question: how do they fit a square meal into a round can? The nutritional explanation is handled through the animated conversation between the two dogs, and the whole thing wraps up with a joke right after the product name is said, leaving you smiling.

What happened

For the first time in the history of the Cannes Lions, a TV spot won the Grand Prix. At a festival where film ads had always been the main event, this was a historic moment when the new medium of television advertising finally got its due.

Afterthought

Sadly, very little record remains today of the detailed planning or production behind this campaign. But the simple fact that it was "the first TV spot to win the Grand Prix" says more than enough about this work's value. As a piece that changed the course of advertising history, I want to give it the respect it deserves.

Awards

• Cannes Lions Grand Prix 1959

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