Alzheimer Society and LIDA inspire people to walk for a world without dementia
Digital and direct marketing agency LIDA has created a moving integrated campaign that inspires people to walk and raise money for Alzheimer Society’s Memory Walk – the charity’s biggest annual event. The new work will run across TV, radio, OOH and digital, starting July 6th.
Dementia is one of the UK’s biggest health challenges, and it has been estimated that by 2021 one million people will be living with the disease. The new campaign, targeting women aged between 35 and 64, aims to increase the number of participants taking part in Memory Walks across England, Wales and Northern Ireland, and to raise awareness of dementia. The media strategy and activation has been handled by M2M.
M2M have developed a multimedia strategy that will support all of the key regional walks, as the society seeks to increase awareness of the event and drive participation.
The centrepiece of the campaign is a direct response TV ad. Developed by LIDA, the copy is written by the granddaughter of the actual couple who feature. It is the plea of a woman living with dementia, asking people to walk for her devoted husband who has been by her side throughout. The execution is deliberately low-fi, using real and un-retouched images of the couple and accompanied by a simple, honest piano track.
The challenge was to create compelling work on a shoestring. Work that didn’t just ask people to walk, but moved them to walk. There’s no fancy tech here, just a simple, powerful and real story about a devoted husband, a woman in the midst of the condition and a granddaughter who misses her Nan.
Nicky Bullard,
Executive Creative Director LIDA
Building on the TV ad, LIDA also created a series of OOH executions focusing on the same couple.
With the growing number of people living with dementia in the UK, it is crucial that we continue to raise awareness around the condition. Taking part in a Memory Walk this autumn is a chance for everyone to come together, celebrate loved ones affected by dementia, and raise money to fund vital research and services for people living with the condition. This year, we’re hoping to attract more walkers and raise more money than ever before and we believe the Memory Walk campaign will be an important tool to reach out and inspire people to participate.
Jon Bodenham,
Director of Fundraising at Alzheimer’s Society
We are proud to be working with the Alzheimer’s Society on their flagship fundraising event. This is a very powerful campaign that we believe will impact on both understanding of the issue and encourage more people to get involved.
Alistair MacCallum,
Chief Executive Officer M2M
LIDA is a digital and direct marketing agency that focuses on creating Better Customer Connections between brands and consumers. The agency has among its clients brands such as O2, Boots, IKEA, Virgin Holidays, Land Rover and National Trust. Founded in 2000, LIDA is part of the M&C Saatchi Group – the UK’s fifth largest communications agency network.
Alzheimer’s Society is a membership organisation which works to improve the quality of life of people affected by dementia in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. Many of its 20,000 members have personal experience of dementia, as carers, health professionals or people with dementia themselves, and their experiences help to inform our work.
M2M is a division of Omnicom Media Group and has a client base that includes brands like Estee Lauder Group of Companies, Amazon Instant Video, Paddy Power, Hewlett Packard, HTC, notonthehighstreet.com and the Swatch Group.
Credits
Agency: LIDA
Agency contact: Katherine Hall & Charlie Parkyn (Senior Account Director & Senior Account Manager)
Client name: Anna McCaughley (Head of Events Alzheimer’s Society)
Copywriter: Fiona Brown-Hovelt
Art director: Nicola Roberts
Planner/CSU Director:Mily Williamson & Emma Hargreaves
Designer: Nizam Ali & Amy Fry
Media agency: M2M
Media planner: Tessa Gale
Production company: LIDA/ M&C Saatchi
Producer: Caroline Bruschan
Audio Post Production: Jungle