WWF | MONKEY (Space Monkey) | 2010
The Space Monkey Returns After 65 Years / WWF "MONKEY"
In the 1960s, during the US space program, a monkey was sent into space. Then, 65 years later, he returns to Earth—only to find his home transformed beyond recognition.
The idea
Using a sci-fi premise—a monkey stranded in space for decades finally returns to Earth—the ad portrays the reality of deforestation. Set to musician Ben Lee's song "Song for the Divine Mother of the Universe," it builds a cinematic world. It closes with the message: "It's not our planet. It's our home."
What happened
It won a Gold Lion at Cannes Lions 2010 and a Bronze Pencil at The One Show 2011. It also aired as a music video on music channels like MTV and Channel V, and was picked up by a wide range of media.
Afterthought
I couldn't track down much about the background planning or behind-the-scenes production, but the sheer power of the idea—showing environmental destruction through the eyes of a monkey returning from space—is incredible. WWF reportedly wanted to focus not on one specific environmental issue but on the future of the whole planet, and that intention seems to line up perfectly with this sci-fi sense of distance. What you feel after watching it—that's everything.
Awards
- Cannes Lions Gold 2010
