More than 6 million Americans are living with Alzheimer's disease. The Alzheimer's Association 2022 Alzheimer's Disease Facts and Figures report revealed that Hispanic people are about one and one-half times more likely to have Alzheimer's or other dementias than the older White population, and that missed or delayed diagnoses are higher among older Hispanic adults compared to older White adults.
Featuring a slate of award-winning artists sharing their personal experiences, the Alzheimer’s Association’s Music Moments is a digital storytelling series that offers a rare glimpse into the emotional connection between music and the moments in life that we never want to lose. For families facing Alzheimer's and all other dementia, these moments are all the more precious.
In 2022, the Alzheimer's Association teamed up with multi-platinum-selling global artist Luis Fonsi to raise awareness for Alzheimer's and the significant impact it has on the Latino community. Evolving from its initial launch two years ago, Music Moments sought to expand to reach a bilingual audience with Fonsi being the first Latin artist featured, helping connect the cause through music to his millions of fans and spark personal conversations with a community that is oftentimes disproportionately represented.
As the first Latin artist to be part of Music Moments, Luis Fonsi’s involvement presented a strategic opportunity to reach and deepen the connection with the Hispanic/Latino community.
For the campaign, Fonsi recorded a powerful rendition of his track, Girasoles, intentionally selecting the song for its themes of love, coming together, and being there for someone, no matter what. The lyrics could resonate with those who are suffering from Alzheimer’s and dementia, the caregivers who also need that love and comfort, and a broader audience who may not yet know a lot about the disease.
Market research and social analysis uncovered that a focus on family and the community inspires greater awareness than prevalence statistics in the Latino population. This informed our creative vision, which focused on the personal story behind the numbers. Fonsi speaks about the importance of opening up about this devastating disease and taking the time to understand how it touches your own community, especially one that is disproportionately impacted. He also shares that he did not know how greatly Latinos were affected and encourages viewers to not be afraid to ask questions and seek help, thereby opening the door for many of his followers to overcome one of the first barriers to acknowledging the disease: fear of stigma.
The video was released on Mother’s Day, connecting to Fonsi’s story in a very special way; this was the first time the artist publicly revealed his connection to the cause, announcing that his abuela was battling the disease. He opened up about her passion for music, and how, although she may no longer recognize him, she remembers her favorite songs, thus grounding this video release even more greatly in the power of music and storytelling. As a result, Fonsi’s episode deeply resonated with audiences, reaching millions globally and opening the door for more conversations.
Due to the success and impact Luis Fonsi’s video had on the Alzhiemer’s community, the Association used assets from the original shoot to create and release a PSA on November 10th, 2022, during National Alzheimer’s Disease Awareness Month and Family Caregivers Month.
As the first Latin artist to join the Music Moments roster, Luis Fonsi’s videos released in English and Spanish, driving over 52% more video views and 94% more engagements than any other prior Music Moments episode. The rise in video views and engagement is a testament to the advantage of releasing bilingual content and extending viewership to Fonsi’s global audience. Over 22% of the users reached were international, in places such as Colombia, Argentina, and Venezuela. On the Alzheimer’s Association and Fonsis’s social media channels, the digital vignette garnered 8.8M+ impressions and reached 5.8M+ users.
In addition to new geographic audiences, Fonsi’s videos also marked new platform audiences. His episode was the first to be rolled out on TikTok, driving the highest engagement rate across all social platforms at over 10.08%.
Beyond social conversation, Fonsi’s episode made waves around the globe, generating 43 media placements with English and Spanish press and earning over 165.53M+ impressions across Online, Print, TV, and Social.
PSA Expansion:
With paid support, the PSAs reached 2.65M individuals with 7.1M impressions
Engagements included over 3M video views, 46.7K post reactions, 2.4K shares, and 590 comments
Approximately 42% of engagements and video views came from the Spanish PSAs
