ADVERTISING

Alzheimer’s Research UK

Change The Ending

Agencies: Above+Beyond Yonder Media

Description

Alzheimer’s Research UK, Above+Beyond and Yonder Media have launched a heartbreaking animated film to bring to life the ‘happily ever afters’ that dementia has stolen.

Despite the fact that millions in the UK will go through a devastating journey with dementia, there is still a startling lack of awareness about the devastating effects of the condition. Alzheimer's Research UK has revealed that less than half (49%) the British public can name memory loss as an effect of dementia, with over a fifth (22%) saying they have no idea how the condition impacts people.

This impactful film brings home the importance of Alzheimer Research UK’s mission to find a cure, and urges the British public to stand with them and support their revolutionary research. The campaign is the first under their new platform ‘For A Cure’.

The Disney-style animated ad, created by Above+Beyond, begins with the quintessential fairytale ending, showing a prince and princess slaying a dragon and riding off into the sunset, happily ever after. But, as the Oscar-winning Olivia Colman begins to narrate, we slowly realise that this isn’t the ending we all know and expect.

In the campaign film, “Change The Ending”, we witness the prince decline in character and appearance - at first forgetful, but then evolving into someone fearful, and physically weak – much to the concern and sorrow of a princess who remains stoic and committed to his care.

It ends with a match cut from animation to a real couple in live action, revealing that this isn’t a fairy-tale but the devastating reality for the almost one million people in the UK living with dementia today, with someone developing the condition every three minutes. But there is a way to change the ending - through research.

Oscar-winner Olivia Colman voices the new campaign, laying bare the harsh reality of the condition to improve awareness: “As soon as I heard about the concept behind Alzheimer’s Research UK’s campaign, I wanted to be involved and support their search for a cure. Dementia devastates lives and wreaks havoc on far too many families across the UK and around the world.

“The work Alzheimer’s Research UK does is so important, and I was proud to lend my voice to this campaign – it lays bare the realities of dementia in such a powerful and thought-provoking way. I was holding back tears narrating the film as dementia destroys people’s ‘happily-ever-afters’, and we must do everything we can to end the pain and distress it causes. I’d urge everyone to join me and get behind Alzheimer’s Research UK to help drive them towards a cure.”

With this campaign, Alzheimer’s Research UK urges the nation to stand with them to find a cure for dementia and change the ending for millions.

The film is two minutes long, and launches on TV with a special ad break in Channel 4 News on September 21st, which is World Alzheimer’s Day. The full-length version plays out across cherry picked spots on TV, as well as in cinemas nationwide. Additional 30- and 10-second cut downs run across TV and social media until November 1st. Yonder Media planned and bought the media, putting an emphasis on high attention environments that would ensure audiences were drawn into the story and its hard-hitting ending.

The Beyond Collective, group company to Above+Beyond and Yonder Media, strategic agency Frontier, launched the charity’s new brand positioning ‘For A Cure’ in May this year, following a year-long review of the brand. All three agencies pitched independently to work with Alzheimer’s Research UK and now work collaboratively as a single, cross-disciplined team to deliver what The Beyond Collective calls the atomic impact of collectivism. It marked the charity’s move to becoming a more campaigning brand, with a greater focus on its purpose.

This professional campaign titled 'Change The Ending' was published in United Kingdom in September, 2023. It was created for the brand: Alzheimer’s Research UK, by ad agencies: Above+Beyond and Yonder Media. This Integrated medium campaign is related to the Health and Public Interest industries and contains 1 media asset. It was submitted about 1 year ago.

Credits

Agency:
Creative Agency: Above+Beyond
Chief Creative Officer: Dom Goldman
Creatives: Artem Bjork, Ash Prentice and Tim Van der Mee
Managing Director: Jonny Ray
Business Director: Anna Fotheringham
Account Executive: Alice Ingram
Chief Production Officer: Laura Graham
Agency Producers: Annabel Jewers, Charlotte Jude and Elin Tiberg
Head of Design: Andy Breese
Designers: Maria Kay and Kieran Rafferty
Strategy Directors: Mike Phillips and Claudia Bennett

Production and Post Production:
Animation Directors: againstallodds
Production Company: Animation - Passion Pictures
Producer: Animation - Matt Saxton
Executive Producer: Animation - Belle Palmer
Production Company: Live Action - Tubby Brother Films
Directors Live Action - Ben and Dan Tubby
Producer Live Action - Rosie Litterick
Producers Post Production: Ellie Thwaites and Karen Noden, No.8 London
Sound Design: Sam Robson, No.8 London
Music: Composer Tom Player via Wake the Town
Music: Dom Bastyra, Wake the Town
Media:
Media planning/buying: Yonder Media
Managing Director: Ed Cox

Alzheimer’s Research UK:
Head of Brand, Lorna Dawson
Brand Manager, Hannah Reynolds

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