HUSH PUPPIES SHOES | VENTILATED | 1989
The ears went up. / HUSH PUPPIES "VENTILATED"
1989, just 15 seconds. A basset hound's droopy ears lift gently in the wind from a passing subway train. That's it. But somehow, that's enough to make it work.
The insight
A wink at Marilyn Monroe's famous scene from "The Seven Year Itch." Take that moment everyone knows from the movies and do it with a dog instead. The product name "Ventilated" connects to the visual in an instant.
The idea
The star is a basset hound named Jason. They taped fishing line to his ears and waited for the subway to pass underneath. Art director Bob Barrie says they shot 20 takes. The ad ends cleanly with nothing but the punchline: "Ventilated Hush Puppies."
What happened
It won GOLD. The Hush Puppies campaign that Fallon McElligott made in the 1980s has been described as "incredibly influential."
Afterthought
The best part is that the dog apparently had a great time. Getting your ears lifted by wind 20 times over and still managing to "really enjoy himself" - that's something. When it's not just the people on set but even the dog in front of the camera having fun, of course something great comes out of it. I don't want to forget that this kind of playful spirit, let completely loose, gave us these 15 seconds in Minneapolis back in 1989.
Awards
- Cannes Lions Gold 1989
