Brazilian Ad Agency: Never Forget...The Tsunami

See the full size image here.

Advertisers have been fixated on hurtling planes at the Twin Towers long before 9/11 happened, but it's safe to say they held off on it after that tragic day. Now, it turns out that a Brazilian ad agency—DDB Brasil—tried to win the World Wildlife Fund (WWF)'s business with this ad concept: An image of lower Manhattan showing many, many planes aiming at Manhattan—and they even include the Towers. (What is it with Brazilian ad agencies?). The text urges us to protect the planet; it also reads: "The Tsunami Killed 100 Times More People Than 9/11." Okay, so who wants to make a mock-up of 1,000 Nazi soldiers being catapulted into Thailand?

The WWF has issued the following statement denouncing the ad:

“WWF strongly condemns this offensive and tasteless ad and did not authorize its production or publication. It is our understanding that it was a concept offered by an outside advertising agency seeking our business in Brazil. The concept was summarily rejected by WWF and should never have seen the light of day. It is an unauthorized use of our logo and we are aggressively pursuing action to have it removed from websites where it is being currently featured. We strongly condemn the messages and the images portrayed in this ad. On behalf of WWF, here in the US and around the world, we can promise you this ad does not in any way reflect the thoughts and feelings of the people of our organization.”

According to CityRoom, the WWF spokesman Steve Ertel "said the World Wildlife Fund had never seen the ad before Tuesday, when his phone started ringing and people began forwarding various blog posts about the ad. It was a scramble to figure out where the ad had come from, he said."

Adweek calls it "tasteless, nightmarish" and lacking respect; noting that "exploiting one tragedy to try to prevent another is just stupid and self-defeating." And though the concept was rejected, DDB Brasil apparently still entered it into the One Show competition, where it won an award for public service. [via Animal]

Update: It gets worse: DDB Brazil created a TV ad too.

Contact the author of this article or email tips@gothamist.com with further questions, comments or tips.

By Jen Carlson in News on September 1, 2009 4:51 PM

Comments [rss]

bowelmovment_man

9/11 was murder, not an act of nature. Comparing the two is non-sequitor. It makes no sense.

But that is not the only thing I have a problem with. There's this hagiography around the 2,800 dead.

BULLSHIT. A lot of those killed were douchebags, cokeheads, racists, assholes, thieves, low lives, etc. Al-Queda did us a favour getting rid of them. Too bad innocent, decent people had to die along with that trash.

Potty Boy

BEFORE 9/11, this would have been a very cool, very striking ad.

snickerdoodle

Interesting articles about Brazil's notorious scam ads of which this one of them:

http://www.businessinsider.com/a-brief-history-of-scam-ads-2009-9

http://godsofadvertising.wordpress.com/2009/09/03/scam-or-hoax-or-even-worse-an-award-winning-ad-blows-up-in-everybodys-face/

http://adscam.typepad.com/my_weblog/2009/09/brazilians-create-nonkosher-ad.html

Says one ad reader: "When you see the word Brazil, it usually is a bullshit ad."

snickerdoodle

Very interesting......

http://www.adscam.typepad.com/

DDB BRAZIL WINS THE TITANIUM DILDO... AGAIN!

it would seem that the wankers at DDB in Brasil, not content with doing the world's dumbest spec print ad for the WWF, actually went ahead and produced a TV spot as well. You can see it here on Gawker. Apart from the fact that it proves these people are incredible fucktards who should be beaten to death with a Titanium Lion... Why am I not surprised that an ad produced by a bunch of cretins in Brasil for a supposed German client, is in fucking English?

tagmunkee

What's so provocative about this ad is NOT that it touches on American's centrist-anxiety about the world's insensitivity to our tragedies.

Rather, it's that it appears to be more targeted at terrorists than at potential donors to WWF--the message I take away is, "hey terrorist idiots, your destructive ways against the oil-hoarding americans who you perceive to be exploiting your peoples are NOTHING in the face of nature. get with our program and protect your 3rd world peeps by caring about the environment."

Or something along those garbled lines. The message is definitely garbled. Still, I am attracted to the mixed messages--they are disturbing and interesting. Does the WWF want the terrorists to start sending funds their way? Or is this some convoluted attempt to bring the oil barons and Al Quaida (sp?) together for a group hug around the mulberry bush?

I can see why it won an award at the One Club, just as I can see why the Guggenheim championed Matthew Barney. It's not about "taste" or "decency," but the ability to grab your attention and get a response.

GREGORYABUTLER

I actually like this ad!

Unlike most advertising, it's actually true!

Only 2,700 people died on 9/11.

But over 300,000 died in the Tsunami.

The only difference being most of the 2,700 dead on 9/11 were well to do White Americans - while most of the 300,000 dead during the Tsunami were poor Asians.

The ad is right on the money - and New Yorkers should quit whining!

paveparadise

are you kidding me?? yeah i guess flight attendants are "well to do". I guess janitors in both towers were "well to do" i guess the firemen and cops killed were "well to do". also "only 2700 people died on 9/11" This was an act of MASS MURDER not an uncontrollable act of nature. i would love for you to be at the WTC on 9/11 to see the families and friends of those MURDERED and you tell them to quit whining. you are disgusting.

Potty Boy

Dang. This story is too funny to make me angry.

dadoc

Sorry, just had to make it 200. Do I win?

valeriob

Check out this Belgian magazine HUMO's ad from 2004:

http://twurl.cc/1jkc

NannyState

Clever, huh? Well they had to do something because NOTHING EVER HAPPENS IN BELGIUM.

Thespis

Yeah. Belgium is a total third world country.

*ducks*

valeriob

noble price for your comment!

The Man Bat

Never forget? How about you never forget the name Sivan Kurzberg and his merry little band of van dancers.

seven

Message good, image over the top.

Btw gothamist, you all must LOVE valerierob and felixthe cat2. These guys are their own personal web traffic generators.

felixthecat2

Nope, It is pathetic and FREAKY that a grown man is stalking me.

valeriob

RACIST

Andrew_7396

It's important to point out that the WWF never endorsed this ad, they never commissioned this ad.

DDB Brasil created for the sake of winning an award at One Show.

It's called a SCAM Ad and the One Show should have realized that, and disqualified it immeidately.