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Sir Terry Pratchett and Seth Rogan team-up to Fightback

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Whilst beloved author and British institution Sir Terry Pratchett and professional Hollywood stoner icon Seth Rogan might not have a lot in common on paper, both have lent their support to a new campaign for Alzheimer's Research UK, which launched on Monday, June 1. They both appear alongside fellow charity ambassadors James Nesbitt, TV personality Arlene Phillips, Dame Joan Bakewell, and broadcaster Katie Derham in a 60-second spot from the award-winning agency Ais London, which will be appearing on prime time television and in cinemas in the UK throughout June.

The “Fightback” campaign’s objective is to increase awareness of Alzheimer’s Research UK

The film was stitched together by the multi-award winning Sam Sneade from archive television news footage sourced from ITN Productions. The aim was to create a powerful public movement in support of Alzheimer’s Research UK, and in just one minute, they manage to do just that thanks to some skilful editing, fascinating and harrowing footage, and worrying realities. The advert also references the advances made in research and technology for diseases like AIDS and challenges viewers to support research into dementia, which receives only a fraction of the same funding, to produce similar advances.

The film by Ais London was stitched together by the multi-award winning Sam Sneade

The “Fightback” campaign’s objective is to increase awareness of Alzheimer’s Research UK and to establish the charity as the leader in research for dementia; communicating the core message that, with enough support, research can really deliver for dementia. The campaign aims to end years of fear, indifference and stigma towards the condition, which affects over 850,000 people in the UK and is the biggest killer of women over the age of 65. The charity carries out world class, pioneering research across leading UK institutions in order to improve diagnosis, prevention and treatment of all forms of dementia, and is simply not getting the funding it deserves!

Alzheimer's Research UK – Fightback

Tim Parry, head of communications at Alzheimer’s Research UK, said: “Alzheimer’s Research UK’s core aim is to defeat Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia and we believe that with continued funding and world class research, we will make a breakthrough. To give us the best chance of beating the condition sooner, we wanted this advert to have a disruptive approach in educating the public, to challenge people’s perception that nothing can be done to tackle diseases like Alzheimer’s, and to demonstrate that research has already gone a long way in taming other serious diseases and can do the same for dementia.

The campaign aims to end years of fear, indifference and stigma towards the condition

Geoff Gower, executive creative director at Ais London, added: “With so many people affected by Alzheimer’s and dementia in the UK, it’s remarkable to think that the disease is still so misunderstood. Our goal is to highlight how Alzheimer’s Research UK can change the course of the disease in the same way other charities have done before. I sincerely hope that dementia will no longer be seen as an ‘old’ person’s problem and that the charity’s need for funding and support is our collective responsibility.”

James Nesbitt, Arlene Phillips and broadcaster Katie Derham also appear in the spot

Sir Terry unfortunately lost his battle with the debilitating illness earlier this year, but from the second he was diagnosed, he became one of the most visible voices on Alzheimer's awareness and research. As someone who has personally had the misfortune of witnessing a loved one succumb to this most unfair and unfunded of illnesses, I admire his courage, and urge you to take a single minute out of your day to watch the video and lend some support to Alzheimer’s Research UK.

Benjamin Hiorns is a freelance writer and musician from Kidderminster in the UK. His favourite Terry Pratchett book is Mort.

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