DDB Brasil's Tsunami: How not to win awards

In a bid to create the edginess necessary to win awards, it seems that the distinguished adverstising firm DDB Brasil overstepped the bounds of ethics and good taste when it released the following ad, entitled "Tsunami," supposedly created for the World Wildlife Fund.


While the ad is illogical and distasteful, evidently its shock value was enough for DDB Brasil to garner a prestigious One Club "Merit Award." However, many complained that the content of the ad was offensive, and what's worse, the ad was not even commissioned by the WWF. It was created by DDB alone for the purpose of claiming awards.

Confronted with public anger to the false ad, DDB Brasil initially lied and disclaimed ownership, but it was later shown to be the agency's work. The fallout from the fiasco has prompted the One Club to revoke DDB Brasil's merit award and issue strict new rules regarding "fake" ads. Moreover, the WWF has also issued a statement condemning the ad and disclaiming any association.

However, the firestorm did not stop there, and the scandal has spawned a sardonic "response" ad, which proclaims: "It was just advertising. Don't make war about it."