The ad compares the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2011 to the World Trade Center in New York with the deaths caused by the tsunami in Asia in 2005.
The video shows images of the two planes that were thrown against NY's twin towers killing 2,819 people. The video then presents a simulation of dozens of other planes attacking simultaneously New York to convey the image of how deadly the Asian tsunami was. 280,000 people were killed during that catastrophe.
Using white capital letters over a black background the ad says: "In 2001, one of the worst tragedies in the history of humanity killed 2,819 people. In 2005 the tsunami killed 280,000 people. That's 100 times more deaths. Our planet is brutally powerful. Respect it. Conserve it."
DM9 registered the print and TV ad to compete at this year's Cannes Lions, which was held from June 21 to June 27.
According to The New York Times, an organization spokesman for the WWF stated that the piece was only a concept of its Brazilian branch and that it had been rejected.
New York based AdAge published a series of reports lambasting the Brazilian ad agency. DM9 even became one of the "worst people in the world" in Keith Olbermann's show at MSNBC.
At the end of Thursday, September 3, DM9 Brasil had already issued five official notes of apology.
Sergio Valent, president of DM9DDB issued the following communiqué: "As president of DDB Brazil. I personally apologize for the "Tsunami" print and television ad created for the World Wildlife Fund in Brazil. While the work was developed by a team of young creatives seeking to make the point that nature is a powerful force, the work should never have been approved by anyone at the agency, let alone have run anywhere or been submitted for awards.
The work, which ran just once locally in print and on cable, and the attention, concern and offense it has caused, has underscored the point that today no ad is truly just local. I emphasize this work does not reflect our thoughts and our beliefs about 9/11. On behalf of all DDB Brasil, I offer my most sincere apologies and regrets to those who were offended by this work.
In an earlier joint statement WWF Brazil and DDB Brasil admitted that the ad was "created and approved" for use.
"It was created and approved in late 2008, mistakenly, and was solely the result of lack of experience on the part of a few professionals from both parties involved," the notesaid, adding:
"In no way was it done in bad faith or with disrespect to American suffering. WWF Brazil and DDB Brasil acknowledge that such an ad should never have been made, approved or published."
You can see the DM9 ad at Brazzil Social: http://brazzil.ning.com/video/controversial-wwf-ad-1