New music video by Leo Burnett launches WWF’s new brand focus around sustainability

Leo Burnett Sydney and director Steve Rogers have created a moving new film for the World Wildlife Fund (WWF), which tells the story of an original space monkey who returns to Earth after being lost in space for decades. The film features a new music track by musician Ben Lee called ‘Song for the Divine Mother of the Universe’, and ‘Space Monkey’ will air as both a music video to launch the single, and a long format cinema spot.

During the 1960s, monkeys were sent into outer space as part of the USspace exploration program. But they didn’t all return, until now.

After launching on his mission in 1961, the monkey is now old and greyafter drifting through space for the past 65 years. The film takes uson a journey from inside the space capsule, as the monkey passesthrough different galaxies and solar systems in the vastness of space.When the monkey finds Earth at long last, he is clearly excited to bereturning home as he re-enters Earth’s orbit. But when he lands in thisfuture reality of 2026, our planet has become environmentallydevastated.

The film launches a new brand focus for WWF in 2010 aroundsustainability, based on the fact that humans are currently consumingEarth’s resources as if we have three planets instead of one. MichaelCanning and Kieran Antill, creative team say that – “With ‘SpaceMonkey’ we wanted to begin to try and change the way people think aboutthe environment. Terms like ‘sustainability’ and ‘planet’ can sound abit scientific and impersonal, so we wanted to re-define the issue in away that struck an emotional chord with people instead”.

With the public becoming increasingly desensitised to environmentalmessages, Leo Burnett faced a challenge in re-connecting people to theissue in a way that would get attention, and ultimately make peoplethink. Says Andy DiLallo, Executive Creative Director, Leo BurnettSydney – “The idea of a monkey returning to Earth after 65 years lostin space is definitely not what you expect for an environmentalmessage. The right music was crucial to capture the emotion we needed,which is where Ben Lee was perfect in helping to bring the story tolife. It’s a story that by nature is very cinematic, so it was a strongfit for both a music video and longer format film”.

Says Jay Benjamin, executive creative director Leo Burnett Worldwide:”It’s so important that we engage young people in as many ways aspossible on the environmental issues we face today. They are thefuture. I’m hopeful that this monkey’s return from space will peaktheir interest, and remind them that we only have one home.”

Mark Tutssel, worldwide creative director of Leo Burnett says ‘SpaceMonkey’ is an example of Leo Burnett’s focus on creating moderncommunication which has human purpose at the heart of the brand story.Says Tutssel: “The earth is 4.5 billion years old and still evolving.This compelling emotional story of 65 years in its lifetime is a starkglobal warning to Humankind”.

After their 2009 collaboration on ‘Vote Earth’ for Earth Hour 2009, LeoBurnett and Ben Lee began discussing the prospects of developing amusic video together, which he was happy to undertake given the cause.

Says Lee: “Because we are presented with a scenario set in the future,the message is ultimately one of hope, promoting the fact we actuallyhave a chance to make a difference, but must act today and ‘live forone planet’.”

After presenting Lee with the idea for ‘Space Monkey’, Leo Burnett thenapproached director Steve Rogers of Revolver Films, who accepted thechallenge of directing over four minutes of film inside a spacecapsule, with a monkey aged in his 70s.

The ‘Space Monkey’ music video starts airing today in Australia and can be viewed at www.themonkeyreturns.com.

Agency: Leo Burnett, Sydney

Set Construction – Studio Kite