You may have seen this on other blogs in the last day or so, a print ad apparently for the WWF out of Brazil. It is beyond tasteless. I wasn’t going to comment on it, but then our tipline made it clear that a video spot was also produced.
The caption in the upper right reads: “The tsunami killed 100 times more people than 9/11. The planet is brutally powerful. Respect it. Preserve it.” The ad first starting becoming well known when it won the best of 2009 award at www.oneclub.org, which apparently promotes excellence in advertising. (UPDATE: it appears the ad award has been removed from this website but here is a screencap.)
But World Wildlife Fund is rejecting the ad, saying it was released without authorization by the Brazilian Ad agency DDB Brazil (www.ddb.com).
WWF condemned it, saying it was “categorically not solicited nor endorsed” by the organization. Looking at their main website though, http://www.panda.org/ you’d never know they are condemning this ad. The other WWF website does mention it here. Now according to Adfreak, they are accepting “joint blame” for the print ad.
But given the existence of this video, it appears they approved at least a production budget. The video is professionally done with top of the line CGI. It’s not some “rogue” that did this on a shoestring budget.
The video spot showing 2 planes flying into the twin towers, followed by even more, is probably the most tasteless and stupid environmental advertisement I’ve ever seen. If the goal was to shock people, it worked. But I doubt the shock effect is positive for WWF. What it does is piss people off.
Watch the video and see what I mean.
UPDATE: it appears DDB/WWF has made a DMCA complaint with YouTube. I expect DeSmog Blog’s Kevin Grandia and Climate Progress’ Joe Romm to express shock and outrage any minute now.
Alternate source to the video can be found here. http://creativity-online.com/work/wwf-tsunami-%28tvc%29/17193
In my opinion, it boggles the mind that anyone or any organization could be so dense as to not predict the public reaction to such a print ad, much less a video. I don’t care how noble you think your cause is, this hijacking of an American tragedy for earth awareness, is not only callous and insulting to the thousands of families affected by this tragedy, but it is probably the single most disgusting and stupid application of eco advertising I’ve ever witnessed.
The WWF initial “denial” of association with this ad just isn’t credible and is falling apart. Have you no shame?
From Hot Air:
WWF is finally admitting that they did play some role in approving the print spot, issuing a joint statement with the ad agency, DDB, that “the inexperience of some professionals on both sides” is to blame. And yet:
Sergio Valente, president of DDB Brasil, said the ad was presented to the WWF in Brazil in December 2008 and approved; it then ran once in a small local paper.
“When I saw it, I said, ‘Stop running that ad,’” Mr. Valente said…
A DDB Brasil spokesperson in Sao Paulo said a video version of the ad being circulated on the internet was not done or authorized by the agency or the client. She said DDB execs first saw the video, which features slightly different copy, on the internet and don’t know who created it.
Really? So some wily amateur video producer out there happened to stumble across a print ad that only ran once in South America and was so taken with it that he churned out a slick animated version on his own dime? Humor me for a moment and assume that this is, in fact, the handiwork of DDB. If so, exactly how many “inexperienced professionals” contributed to — and approved — the spot?
This spot comes from an ad agency employed by the same people that say “We Need a New Global Climate Deal“. Good luck with that, with this revelation, you’ve just committed global stupicide.
h/t to WUWT reader Corey
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Inconvenient Truth was shown in my kids’ elementary school.
Why not? Kids need to sleep too.
Some interesting data:
World Wildlife Fund
Carter S. Roberts, President/CEO
Annual Compensation (Fiscal Year ending 6/2008) = $439,327
This must simply be directed towards those already knee deep in unquestioning enviro-political scare mongering, I presume in order to make these same people even more hysterical, more driven. Fear drowns out all intelligence. All thought. All perspective. That the ad was made at all shows how far some have already travelled down this sad road.
And we wonder why our kids are having nightmares…
Al Gore is the bogeyman of the 21st Century.
If this ad and video get wide exposure thanks to the Internet, it can serve as a test for one’s degree of stupid. Anyone who suggest that the tsunami was caused by anthropogenic global warming should be required to give up their voting rights and wear a big “S” for stupid on a bright orange hoodie for the next three months in Copenhagen. The tsunami was caused by a large tectonic slip—an earthquake—30 km below the surface of the Indian Ocean, not the climate or even in the atmosphere.
As Steven Colbert would say, a perfect example of dumbassity.
Pieter F (21:22:07) :
There are some people who say the extra tonnage of co2 in the air is pressing down in the earth and causing tremors—or something like that. No, not kidding.
evanmjones (21:18:21) : Kids need to sleep too.
Thanks for the laugh Evan. Got my mind off this video.
Would it be tasteless if someone produced a video showing a killer asteroid falling on the WWF headquarters?
Yes, our universe is brutally powerful. WWF, respect it.
So much for keeping a lid on this. The story just ran on Fox News/Hannity’s program nation wide. Hannity called for an apology from the parties who produced it.
Gene: (21:29:00) : like I said . . . a measure of stupid and dumbassity.
“global stupicide”
That may be THE funniest thing I have ever read.
Thanks for the levity in the face of grossly absurd ignorance.
I wonder if WWF or DDB are hiring, as they obviously need someone around to make sure they don’t start thinking that they’re smart.
If WWF can outright lie about Polar Bears, it’s pretty obvious they have no scruples or truth on their side.
Something like this deserves a proper rebuke.
My suggestion: A, as needed, ‘Eco-Stupidity Award’. The visual ‘tag’ for said award: a panda roasting on a spit.
The howls of outrage alone would be worth it.
Polarizing? Probably.
Extreme? Yeah, so?
Would it make those chumps regret the day they ever dreamed up that vile ad? I certainly hope so.
PS–this was the only thing I could think of that didn’t involve using language that would have gotten ‘snipped’, if not banned.
PPS–if would make anyone feel better, you can put a WWF logo on the side of the panda.
Disgusting!
Is there any financial connection between WWF and Al Gore & co. ?
[snip]
Here’s the connection between 9/11 and the 2005 tsumani, as I see it. The earthquake and tsunami occurred near a mostly Muslim nation, Indonesia. Many (but not all) of those killed in the tsunami were Muslims. Many in the media claimed this was God’s revenge for the 9/11 attacks. This was very wrong on many levels.
Hopefully WWF are now in for a global Tsunami of criticism! I suggest they get hit where it hurts them most…in the donation box.
I believe the big earthquake and tsunami was on December 26, 2004, not 2005 as I wrote above.
I found the Van Jones clip to be very troubling on multiple levels.
If you put aside the “expletive deleted” nature and who the “expletive deleted” was target toward, the most troubling part becomes clearer.
First, the woman asked the question as to why the “party now out of power” in Congress was able when “in power” to pass legislation with less than the majority the current “party in power” enjoys, while the “party in power” can’t seem to do the same thing. The response .. BS .. or as Barack Obama would call it .. a distraction. Obviously, this question was not supposed to be asked.
Second, the cynicism this man has for the environmental movement is unbelievable. “Green Jobs” aren’t a viable economic product of reordered priorities based on good environmental principles, but rather a political opportunity. His appointment as “Green Jobs” czar shows that “Green Jobs” and probably the whole “cap-and-trade” legislation has virtually nothing to do with the environment, but rather is a source of funds to be squandered for patronage. Every environmentalist should be aghast.
“Aron (20:57:07) :
Anthropogenic tsunamis blamed on the heavy footsteps of Indonesians I suppose. I’ve seen everything now.”
I beg to differ. This is just…errrrmmmm…the tip of….errrmmm…those thingys in the Arc/Antarctic that won’t be there in 2050…..iceberg(s), yeah that’s them.
“An Inconvenient Truth shown at a public school?”
Heh, yeah, it was interesting the way it was broached to the parents, too. She sent home a sheet with my daughter that said from time to time the class might have some free time or they may earn a treat through their efforts and she asked permission to show the kids a movie. She listed several candidate movies and offered parents a chance to voice their opinion about whether they find any of the objectionable in any way. They were all things like “little mermaid” and “finding nemo” but in the second column about halfway down was “An Inconvenient Truth”. I stuck that one off the list and made a note that it could be shown to my children only if immediately followed by “swindle”. Turns out, Inconvenient Truth was the only one she showed. My daughter had extra library time that day.
” Mick (21:54:16) :
Disgusting!
Is there any financial connection between WWF and Al Gore & co. ?
[snip] ”
sorry moderator(s), I meant to “highlight” the connection, therefore he’s responsible as well. My bad.
Remember when Obama’s Airforce One flew over NYC accompanied by fighters back in April? I think it unlikely that either incident was down to stupdity, rather a reminder from the powers that be designed to promote fear.
Scare the population enough and they’ll agree to anything. Sickening 🙁
Does anyone else remember during President Bush’s second campaign, they used about 2 seconds of 9/11 footage in an ad, and the left went into FITS about it?
But, I guess, this insulting piece of trash is intended to be “for a good cause”. Tell you what… in my mind, saving the world from Kerry was a much better cause!
Pointless, inane, insensitive, inconsiderate, inappropriate Eco-taliban drivel. But that’s only to be expected.
How can you capture this video?
It will not be around in a few hours and nobody will know what you are talking about.
WWF denials sound like a criminal expressing remorse for his crime only after he’s been caught. Forget the denials — we now have more insight into the mindset of WWF and it’s not a pretty sight.