The Winning Director
The caption reads: "Rick Dublin is proud to announce that he bagged a Gold Lion at Cannes for his Hush Puppies commercial - the very first shot of his directorial career."
The Winning "Actor"
Jason stands next to "his" Gold Lion.
The Winning Ad
Fallon McElligott Wins 2 Gold Lions
By Dan Wascoe
Star Tribune Staff Writer
The Fallon McElligott ad agency of Minneapolis won two Gold Lion awards for TV commercials last weekend at the International Advertising Film Festival in Cannes, France. The ad was for Hush Puppies ventilated shoes.
Fallon was the only U.S. agency to win more than one Gold Lion in the prestigious international competition.
From a June 27, 1989 article in the Minneapolis Star Tribune.
Copyright 1989 Star Tribune. Republished here with the permission of the Star Tribune. No further republication or redistribution permitted without the express written consent of the Star Tribune.
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The following are excerpts from the July 3, 1989 edition of Adweek.
Fallon's other Gold winner, a 15-second effort for Hush Puppies called "Ventilated", features Jason the Hush Puppies dog standing over a subway grate. His ears fly up when the train rumbles by and creates a rush of air.
The director, Rick Dublin, built his reputation as a still photographer, but "Ventilated" was the first TV spot he ever directed.
Bob Barrie, art director for "Ventilated," said Dublin "seemed an obvious choice." Dublin, who photographed the Hush Puppies print campaign, had shared his desire to try commercials one day. "It was a perfect opportunity," said Barrie.
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The following is from an unknown trade journal article. It's an amusing story, and absolutely true!
When word came mid-afternoon on a Friday that Fallon McElligott would be the sole U.S. agency to pick up two Gold Lions at Cannes the next night, gears shifted fast. Creatives Jarl Olsen, Bob Barrie and Houman Pirdavari joined Minneapolis photographer/director Rick Dublin on an early evening flight, hoping that they could clear French customs without the requisite visas.
But that was only half the problem. The plane was late getting to London, and they missed not only their first choice connection, but also their backup flight. How to console themselves?
"Well, we went out to dinner and spent $400. Then we came home the next day," said Dublin. "I guess you could say we went to London for dinner."
