Seen+Noted: Disney-style animated film shows how dementia steals happily ever afters

Above + Beyond London’s latest campaign for Alzheimer’s Research UK shows how dementia steals happily ever afters, and urges the nation to support them finding a cure for the UK’s No.1 Killer.

The heartbreaking animated film brings 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’.

Above + Beyond created the Disney-style animated ad, which 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 “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.

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 launched on TV with a special ad break in Channel 4 News on 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.

Dom Goldman, Chief Creative Officer, at Above+Beyond, said: “We very much hope this poignant film will inspire the nation and support Alzheimer’s Research UK in their quest to find a cure – something we will all desperately need.”

Credits
Brand: Alzheimer’s Research UK
Head of Brand: Lorna Dawson
Brand Manager: Hannah Reynolds
Agency / Creative: Above+Beyond
Chief Creative Officer: Dom Goldman
Creative: Artem Bjork
Creative: Ash Prentice
Creative: Tim Van Der Mee
Managing Director: Jonny Ray
Business Director: Anna Fotheringham
Account Executive: Alice Ingram
Chief Production Officer: Laura Graham
Agency Producer: Annabel Jewers
Agency Producer: Charlotte Jude
Agency Producer: Elin Tiberg
Head of Design: Andy Breese
Designer: Maria Kay
Designer: Kieran Rafferty
Strategy Director: Mike Phillips
Strategy Director: Claudia Bennett
Animation: Passion Pictures
Director: againstallodds
Producer: Matt Saxton
Executive Producer: Belle Palmer
Production: Tubby Brother Films
Director: Dan Tubby
Director: Ben Tubby
Producer: Rosie Litterick
Post Production / VFX: No.8ldn
Producer: Ellie Thwaites
Producer: Karen Noden
Music / Sound: No.8ldn
Sound Designer: Sam Robson
Music / Sound: Wake The Town
Composer: Tom Player
Music: Dom Bastyra
Media: Yonder Media
Managing Director: Ed Cox