In this rather unexpected environmental message from Leo Burnett for the World Wildlife Fund, a space-faring chimp returns to Mother Earth after 65 years to discover a 21st-century “wasteland” and shed a tear that would break the heart of Iron Eyes Cody. While it seems like an inspired twist on Planet of the Apes (“You maniacs! God damn you all to hell!”), it’s actually a reference to the chimps we launched into space in the ’60s. The video is a collaboration with Ben Lee, whose “Song for the Divine Mother of the Universe” provides the soundtrack. Check the behind-the-scenes vid here. The creative team tells Taxi that they wanted to redefine the “impersonal and scientific” issue of environmental stewardship “in a way that struck an emotional chord.” I dunno what planet they’ve been orbiting, but last I checked, it was pretty emotional already.
—Posted by Rebecca Cullers