Is Alzheimer’s Research UK’s Christmas Ad the Best Yet?

What if Santa forgot about Christmas?

This is the shocking question Alzheimer’s Research UK is putting to us this Christmas. With the help of Stephen Fry and the infamous Aardam (the team behind the nation’s sweethearts Wallace and Gromit) the charity’s animated Christmas campaign is sure to pull at the heart strings, and drive home the most important message delivered so far this festive season.

The ad explores the devastating idea of Santa having dementia and forgetting to deliver all of his presents to children around the world on Christmas Eve.

It depicts  the story of a little girl called Freya, who has grown up in a world where Santa has stopped visiting on Christmas Eve. Her Father explains that Santa is living with  dementia. This leads her  to try her hardest to help, believing that if Santa has a disease, research can find a way to fix it.

Hilary Evans, Chief Executive of Alzheimer’s Research UK, said: ‘Santa Forgot is a poignant and powerful reminder that dementia doesn’t discriminate. We have to be provocative about dementia, to help fight misconceptions and fatalism around the condition and to demonstrate that pioneering research holds the answers. Santa is an important cultural figure, but the idea that he too could be affected drives home the point that dementia can strike those most special in our lives.

‘Dementia is one of our most feared conditions, but misunderstanding persists that it is an inevitable part of ageing. Santa Forgot, like previous campaigns from Alzheimer’s Research UK, makes the simple point that physical diseases drive dementia, most commonly Alzheimer’s. We have made enormous strides against diseases like cancer and AIDS, and with the right research we can do the same for dementia. Santa Forgot reminds us to believe in the power of research.’

The narrator of this heart-wrenching tale, Stephen Fry says of the campaign: “From the moment I was told about Santa Forgot I wanted to lend my support – it is an inspiring and beautiful take on a Christmas tale. I urge people up and down the country to get behind the campaign so we can fuel the fight against dementia and take a step forward to making it history.”

‘Dementia is the world’s greatest medical challenge, not only for the individuals affected and their families, but also for society as a whole. Over 850,000 people in the UK have dementia, and the condition has an economic impact in the UK of over £24bn a year, more than cancer and heart disease combined. It is also the leading cause of death amongst women in the UK.

‘The ad highlights the varied symptoms and social isolation of dementia and raises awareness that the diseases that cause it, most commonly Alzheimer’s, strike indiscriminately and really can affect anyone, even Santa.’

– Alzheimer’s Research UK.

You can watch Santa Forgot below: