We're big Disney fans here at Creative Bloq, but we have to admit that even today the animation giant often has an unrealistically rosy outlook on life. The charity Alzheimer's Research UK knows that's not always the way things work, and it's reminding us in a very poignant new Disney-inspired ad.
With the tagline "change the ending", the piece shows a couple whose happy ever after is turned upside down because of dementia. It invites the viewer to commit to help change the story back to the way it should be (see our pick of the best print adverts for more advertising inspiration).
The heartbreaking two-minute film was made with Above+Beyond and Yonder Media to bring to life happy endings that dementia has stolen. It begins with the typical fairytale ending with a prince slaying a dragon and riding off into the sunset with the princess.
However, the piece, narrated by the Oscar-winning actress Olivia Colman, doesn't continue as expected. The prince becomes forgetful, and then fearful and weak, to the distress of the princess who looks after him. The film ends by making a match cut to a live-action scene, showing us that the story is very real.
Alzheimer's Research UK says the way to change this ending is through research. It says that although millions of people in the UK will experience dementia, there is a lack of awareness about its effects. The full-length version of the film has been showing during select spots on TV and in UK cinemas.
For recent emotive advertising of a very different kind see the McDonald's teletext advert.
