This PSA About Hiring Folks With ALS Hits Hard

Powerhouse appeal feels moving and brutally on point

We move slowly down a corridor toward a middle-aged man who stands in front of a stark white screen.

“I’ve built a career in one of the country’s toughest markets, an awarded agent in Toronto recognized by my peers,” the silky-smooth narration begins. “Along the way, I’ve set records. Helped families find homes. And earned lasting trust.”

The man’s lips never move. Soon, the vibe changes from a realtor’s flex to something more substantial—and achingly human:

“Recently, I was diagnosed with ALS. It may take my voice, but not my passion for clients or the work I love … I’m not asking for donations or pity, just action and awareness.”

That’s when Yan, recently diagnosed with the neuromuscular disorder, begins speaking in strained but affecting tones about the very PSA we’re viewing:

“Like it. Share it. Tell someone you. You saw this. When you hire someone with ALS, you’re saying you believe in talent over circumstances.”

He concludes by suggesting that in our harsh times, “The simplest thing you can do might be the most powerful.”

Yan’s brother-in-law is Philip Khosid, CCO at Battery. The agency crafted this :60 for the ALS Society of Canada.

The bare-bones production values and straight-ahead message help the spot transcend. Note how Yan grows in stature as the ad unfolds. Appearing vulnerable yet strong, he’s undiminished by the disease. By the end, he stands tall, drawing us close, into his world, providing fresh perspective and understanding.

This approach reminds us that making a difference in one person’s life can reverberate like thunder and elevate everyone.

“When he first got the diagnosis, it was like a shockwave through our whole family—grief, disbelief, all of it,” Khosid tells Muse. “But really quickly the question became: How do we support him? He literally talks for a living, and this form of ALS went straight after his voice. As a realtor, that’s his livelihood.”

Khosid chose to make the film to reassure Yan’s clients and stem attrition and show that he’s still cognitively sharp as well as “position him as a lightning rod for a new kind of ALS message—one that’s about what people with ALS can still do today.”

Yan was immediately all in.

“The concept of using AI to dramatize how ALS was stealing his voice felt immediate and powerful,” Khosid recalls. “I wrote the script in an afternoon and then pulled in a few trusted folks at Battery to shape the execution—specially the idea of having the AI replaced by his real voice” for maximum impact.

If the film can achieve just one thing, “I want it to remind people that those living with ALS have been dealt a brutal hand—but they’re still here,” Khosid says. “They still want to contribute, to work, to be part of their communities. We have to honor that.”

Yes, we absolutely need awareness and research to save lives in the future. But we also need to support people and their families today. That’s the message.”