For Voices of Alzheimer’s, the primary objective was to break through avoidance: adults 50+ often equate memory changes with fear, stigma, and fatalism, which discourages early conversations and baseline cognitive screenings, even as new treatments emerge that make early detection more actionable. Our strategic aim was to reposition cognitive evaluation not as a last resort but as a routine act of care that preserves autonomy, relationships, and quality of life.
We set out to achieve three specific goals:
To accomplish this, we leveraged a medium uniquely suited for nuance and empathy: film. We created Check, Mate, a mixed-media short that uses handcrafted animation to depict a lifelong friendship subtly altered by early cognitive decline. Through this story, we made an abstract challenge visible and personal, inviting viewers to reflect, talk, and act. The result was not only measurable engagement but a shift in perception: memory care as care, not catastrophe.
To bring Check, Mate to life, we anchored the campaign in a deeply human idea: Alzheimer’s isn’t just a medical diagnosis — it affects the rhythms of everyday life and the relationships that define us. Our insight was that this emotional terrain couldn’t be navigated with statistics alone, it required storytelling that could hold complexity with compassion.
We partnered with animation studio Nathan Love to develop a mixed-media narrative that blends cut paper, stop-motion, and digital animation. The tactile quality of the visuals allowed us to mirror the fragility and texture of memory itself — the way moments can feel vivid one day and tenuous the next. The story follows two lifelong friends whose weekly chess game begins to subtly change. Rather than rendering decline as sudden or catastrophic, Check, Mate depicts the quiet early shifts that many viewers might recognize in their own lives. This choice removed clinical distance and made space for emotional identification.
Our execution strategy included three key components:
1. Narrative Craft: We avoided direct medical language in favor of visual metaphor and character. By focusing on friendship and shared ritual, the film invites viewers to see themselves in the story before delivering calls to action. The chess motif — familiar yet rich with symbolism — allowed us to dramatize cognitive changes without sensationalism.
2. Multi-Channel Distribution: The film was deployed across paid social, organic social, digital channels, and the Voices of Alzheimer’s website. Each placement was optimized for the target demographic (adults 50+ and caregivers), with tailored messaging that encouraged learning about screenings and talking with clinicians.
3. Integrated Calls to Action: Every placement included clear next steps: learn about early memory screenings, understand new treatment options, and use your next doctor’s visit as a moment to act. This ensured that emotional engagement had a direct behavioral pathway.
A central challenge was balancing emotional resonance with actionable messaging without leaning on fear. Early concepts that prioritized clinical framing tested as distant; versions that leaned too heavily into sadness risked disengagement. The breakthrough came when we centered relationship first and screening second — a structural pivot that grounded narrative in what people value most.
Another challenge was reaching adults 50+ in a media landscape saturated with noise. We overcame this by selecting contextually relevant placements and optimizing creative formats for each platform, ensuring accessibility and ease of sharing.
In just three weeks, “Check, Mate” generated strong early performance:
By reframing screenings as an act of care—both for oneself and for the people you love—“Check, Mate” helped transform a topic often avoided by older adults into an invitation to protect the moments and relationships that define life after 50.
