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
ECDs – Andy DiLallo / Jay Benjamin
Copywriter – Michael Canning
Art Director – Kieran Antill
Executive Producer – Adrian Shapiro
Account Manager – Paul Everson/Jodi McLeod
Production Company: Revolver
Executive Producer – Michael Ritchie
Producer – Georgina Wilson
Director – Steve Rogers
DOP – Mandy Walker
Editor – The Butchery – Jack Hutchings
Music – Ben Lee “Song for The Divine Mother Universe”
Sound Design – Paul Taylor – Sound Reservoir
Post Production – Animal Logic
Production Designer – Steven Jones-Evans
Costume Designer – Margot Wilson
Prosthetics – Odd Studios
Set Construction – Studio Kite
61 Comments
A cheery thought.
Great work!
I’m so excited…
What bad luck for the sleepy ape, he lands smack bang into the middle of a Melbourne winter.
Awsome great clip
That’s amazing. Nice work
Very cool. How did they do the monkey?
After watching this ad for 65 years, I too returned to find my planet destroyed.
As feeble as the song.
I was kinda hoping for one of the happy feet characters to appear at some point.
Or at least a cameo from Charlton Heston.
pique
You can’t deny that this is an amazing piece of film. Well done.
It would of been surprising if he’d returned to a planet in good health not the usual post apocalyptic one.
I love it, instead of TVCs disappearing, they’re just getting longer with the entire soundtrack.
check this lynchy
now this is funny
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FOcujXpbkhg&feature=autofb
…and I just can’t hide it.
Nice one i am a little jealous
Nice film shame about the god awful song.
I’m about to lose control and I think I like it!
6:16.
I know. I know. I know. I know. I know I want you.
Nicely executed, but what the heck is it supposed to be saying? And what does it have to do with anything.
An ape grows a Fu Manchu mo and is surprised that after 65 years his environment has changed?
I assume it is supposed to have changed for the worse, but given the ‘cool’ visual style it is impossible to tell.
It seemed kind of Russian to me, so is the WWF saying the world will look like Moscow?
Nice video clip. Crap ad.
wow
what a nice surprise to watch a well executed, original idea amongst the dirge of nandos and bitching creatives.
and the first time that listening to a ben lee song hasn’t made me want to stick knitting needles in my ears.
Nice idea, well executed. Good thinking I reckon.
Problem for me is it’s too long. Really good as a 90sec or something – enough time to give the idea space but not labouring on too much. But it’s not a 4min ad.
Music ad on the showreel tick, sorry I mean video. They even got the same director as CRC. Monkey see, monkey do.
I’m sorry but isn’t this really just another MTV exit foundation strategy. Take an issue bring it to life in a video clip and then slap a line at the end bringing attention to the cause? If we did another 10 of these for different causes what happens? Sure it’s nice but it’s been done. Anyone care to disagree and tell me why I’m wrong on this?
cool video
Mike Canning – you’re proving to be a bloody legend. Keep up the awesomeness.
The media is the same the idea isn’t. Whats the issue with that.
Didn’t know you could own an entire medium. If that is the case any online film would be a rip of of BMW films.
This is a really fresh idea for a video. Well done people.
anyone under 30 will switch off after about 20 seconds or try and watch in ffwd and be disappointed….planet of the apes to a dreadful song…….sucks
Hey ‘under 30’. With all due respect, check out the comments from the ‘under 30s’ watching it and passing it to their friends.
http://vimeo.com/11127915
“Terms like ‘sustainability’ and ‘planet’ can sound a bit scientific and impersonal…”
Relax. When you call a chimpanzee a “monkey” there’s not much risk of sounding scientific.
I bet you don’t know the difference between carbon dioxide and carbon either.
Absolutely average guys, and c’mon this is so Dejan Rasic’s space and give him a little bit of respect and atelast attempt to challenge rather than embarrass.
That’s amazing well done
Sick cool video!!!
Dear Mr. Dejan
Could we please make a music video for one of our clients using your medium. Thank you for your consideration.
Sincerely, The Advertising Industry
P.s. If you don’t mind please forward this to BMF, Mother, W&K, CP&B as well, we understand they to may have claims to this format.
The look on the monkey’s face pretty much sums it up.
Hope this gets played. Ben Lee needs the exposure.
happy to be proved wrong. Yet, didn’t Ben Lee do the Sun Spot thing for 3 Drunk Monkeys, the Flash Dance thing for US and now WWF. It seems that its more Ben’s space than anyone’s.
love it, awesome video.
The monkey looks so real, anyone know who did it and how? Effects are unreal.
9.07… you are gay.
great video guys ignore the haters this really is special.
1:09 – something wrong with that?!
Misogynist.
NB: Not 9:07, just interested in advances in human rights over the past 40 years or so.
10:05… I totally agree with your point. As Jerry Seinfeld always said “not that there’s anything wrong with that.” However, I do have to make a suggestion. 1:09’s comment is more likely that of a ‘homophobe’ rather than a ‘misogynist’. The former is hostile towards gays, the latter towards women. I’ll just put that down as ‘No Charge’ this time.
So let me get this right, because some Aussie creative made a music video for a brand a couple of years back he owns that medium now? What about the countless others that have done the same thing before him?
We might as well say that whoever did the first TVC that that is ‘their space’ too and all invent a new medium with our campaigns.
As for the ‘ad’, this is different than other stuff, sure it has a few flaws in regards to probability but overall it’s well made and gets your attention.
Good one.
MTV exit foundation. The idea is to use a video clip to bring to life a line for a social cause. WWF. Exactly the same. Sure do a video clip but don’t do it the same way that. MTV exit foundation did it. Years ago mark collis did a video clip for candy, skittles or something. But it wasn’t done the same way. Collis did it as product placement and he wrote the song. (it was terrible.) When Dejan did it, they used a different structure. This uses the exact same formula as MTV. Big recording artist meets social cause with line and logo at the end. It’s the same. It’s been done. Done! So after WWF wins an award for it, what happens when another 20 of the same structured videos come along? Do we start a new category for best use of big recording artist music video for social cause? Seriously. Think about it! Why didn’t they just do it as a 60″ commercial? They still could have used the same song. See my rather long drawn out tedious point now?
It’s like saying we’re going to do something calling child labour hour and we’ll get everyone in the world to take off their nike shoes for an hour. Which famous advertising idea comes to mind? Different message, same structure. I like canning, the kid’s awesomely talented but this just isn’t an original idea.
Just a bit dull with a big addy payoff for me. The production quality was special though. The idea couldn’t stretch to the long format for me. I really like the ambition of it all, good to see. I’m gonna go back to doing my bollocks 30 sec spot.
Call me a softy but I found that quite emotional. Well done to all involved. Loved it.
Robbie B
Do you need a hug Robbie B? Are you alright little fella? Did the big bad Steve Rogers penetrate your tender little heart?
11:45…please spend a little more time trying to understand the word ‘idea’. The idea is not to put an artist together with a social cause. The idea seems to be that we have lost sight of the fact that this is our only home. They have chosen to demonstrate this idea through the dramatic story of a chimp who has metaphorically been out to space for 65 years, only to return to a metaphorical shithole.
Sorry to be a bit rough but a lot of people seem to be confusing the words ‘medium’ and ‘idea’ on here.
Couldn’t give a stuff about the format argument, it’s nicely shot and the endline sums it all up really well.
But c’mon, how the fuck did they supply 65 years worth of oxygen, water and food in that tiny capsule?
And the monkey’s muscles would be useless after all that time in space, so he’d just be sitting there waiting for someone to open the hatch for him, which could only be opened form the outside by the way. I saw a doco on the History channel about the Apollo missions so I know my space shit.
12.47
It would have been fine as a 60″. So please, if EXIT foundation hadn’t done this format first, it would have been done as a 60″. So yes, lets start a new category for “Best use of big recording artist music video for social cause”. Lets do one for The smith family, for World vision etc. and see if we start to latch on to the point I’m making. How many times does it need to be done before it’s done? Think about it.
I agree with Caesar, at least in Planet of the Apes the crew travelled forward through time, which neatly gets around the whole oxygen supply thingy. And they were in stasis too. There’s no way this dude could survive 65 years.
In space, no one gets your metaphors…
Unfortunately, that was long, boring and overtly pretentious. Music videos used to be good.
Can’t wait for the sequel, when the monkey learns to talk and shoot a rifle on horseback.
Sorry this format thing is bullshit. As much as I’m sure Dejan and CRC would like to have been the first to ever use music and video together to promote a social cause, I’m sure even they would admit they were not.
Even our younger bloggers will remember a man named Michael Jackson who long ago, like way back in the 80’s was making socially minded music and music videos.
Remember, “We are the World”, “Earth Song”, Black or White… etc. etc. All had big socially minded messages. The same goes for John Lennon, Bob Dylan, and many others. Putting a logo on the end doesn’t make it a first or a new idea.
Anyways the point hear is that as soon as we start confusing the media with the big idea the sooner we can eliminate creatives and replace them with channel planners.
This is a really special piece of content with a big idea, it also happens to use media well, but not originally.
This is ad wank. “Lets get the part where the monkey winks”. There’s better stuff to be entertained by than this advertising blow hard of an idea. Nicely made though.
Long live the Aussie Tards!
I love coming here. Not for the ads mind, just love the millions of girly squabbles from a load of anonymous soft cocks. You get almost all the same stories on the NZ and Asia CB sites, but with a tenth of the bitching; that’s for those that are sick of this merry-go-round of frustrated, former school nerds that found advertising and reinvented themselves as “Uber Too Cools” for anyone else.
Me, I think I’ll stay here, laugh my ass off at the wit posted, but very rarely seen in the ads everyone works on, and post the odd anonymous, contradictory and fucked up comment myself…
Only in Australia!
On ya Leo’s for having a go! I like it.
Steve Rogers is a great talent. Behind the scenes is nice too http://vimeo.com/11262291 To all who worked on it great job.
I don’t think its well done. In fact, I think its boring. I couldn’t finish the whole thing, let alone be bothered with watching a behind the scenes piece. Sorry.
Actually, it is not about claims to any format, but it is another original and copyrighted video creative. Not my personal claim. Space Monkey storyboards, same storyline and video rushes presented to and kept by Leo Burnett in Sydney, March 2008. I’m sure all that original material will be released on many channels soon. That is all I know.