Paradais DDB and El Universo, together to celebrate The World Alzheimer’s Day

Encouraging and maintaining the habit of reading helps to preserve the activity and cognitive functions of people with alzheimer’s. Based on this solid conclusion from the ACE Foundation – Barcelona Alzheimer Treatment & Research Center, El universo -the largest newspaper in Ecuador- and Paradais DDB jointly developed an action to promote reading, within the framework of World Alzheimer’s Day this 21st of September. In Ecuador there are more than 96,000 people who suffer from the disease, many in still early stages, where reading plays an essential role.

To get the message across, the newspaper investigated its oldest subscribers and the story of Dora Espinoza was chosen. She is in the early stages of the disease and reading is one of the main tools to slow its progress and keep her memory active. Thus, the newspaper launched an investigation of Dora’s life and together with a team of journalists from the newspaper they produced a special personalized cover every day for a month, where every morning she received stories of her own life gathering memories from her own and her relatives and friends.

“This work reflects the two most important things for the newspaper: The journalistic work is revalued, and a valuable interaction is generated with a long-time subscriber to El Universo”, says Melissa Uscocovich, Marketing Manager.

Agustín Febres-Cordero, Creative Director General of Paradais DDB.

“My Own Story is a joint effort between the newspaper, its journalists and Paradais DDB to highlight the importance of reading in the treatment and prevention of Alzheimer’s. Dora’s story is the story of many Ecuadorians who suffer from the disease and can reduce and slow down its effects by maintaining the habit of reading”