Alzheimer's Society Depicts a Devastating Struggle in 'The Ultimate Vow'

Growing old with your spouse or partner should be something to look forward to. But sometimes, marriage vows take a heavy toll. Often, it’s a heartbreaking haul to care for someone “in sickness” 24/7/365.

Nearly two minutes long, “Ultimate Vow” from the the Alzheimer’s Society follows Adam and Laura’s devastating journey through dementia. What begins as a one-off forgetful moment turns into something far more menacing. Adam struggles with memory issues, and the caregiver role weighs on his wife. In a voiceover, she repeats her marriage vows, like a mantra to carry her through each stressful day.

Developed with New Commercial Arts, the film ends with actor Colin Firth encouraging donations, plus a grim reminder: One in three U.K. residents will develop dementia, and 900,000 British citizens are currently afflicted.

“Alzheimer’s Society’s ultimate vow is to be there for one another in sickness and in health, whether you are the person living with dementia or the carer, whether you are at home or in a care home,” says Peigh Asante, creative at NCA. “Very little support is given to people dealing with dementia apart from when charities like Alzheimer’s Society step in.”

The brand’s logo was also given a refresh, with its forget-me-not flower rocking a modern feel. Photographer Mary McCartney created stirring portraits of three real-life couples.

Click images to enlarge:

“We wanted to show the reality of how it is to live with a dementia diagnosis not just on the person living with it but the carer—be that a partner, a sibling or a friend,” creative Jules Middleton tells Muse. “It really is a relentless, harrowing illness, which is why the wedding vows get stuck on the ‘in sickness’ part in our film. Obviously there is love still there too, which we hope comes across in the film and print campaign featuring real people and their partners living with dementia.”

CREDITS

Campaign: “The Ultimate Vow”
Brand: Alzheimer’s Society
Agency: New Commercial Arts

Alzheimer’s Society:
Exec Director of Fundraising and Marketing: Alex Hyde-Smith
Associate Director, Brand & Marketing: Harriet Foxwell-Corden
Senior Marketing Manager: Victoria Evans
Marketing Executive: Laura Parsons
Marketing Executive: Ellie Jerman

New Commercial Arts:
Chief Creative Officer: Ian Heartfield
Artistic Director: Nici Hofer
Creatives: Jules Middleton & Peigh Asante
Director of Production & Operations: Matt Craigie-Atherton
Film Producer: Lucie Georgeson
Print Producer: Amanda Davies
Chief Executive Officer: James Murphy
Business Director: Miriam Goode
Senior Account Director: Janki Shah
Chief Strategy Officer: David Golding
Planning Partner: John Blight
Project Director: Sylvie Edwards

Film Production:
Production Company: Biscuit Filmworks
Director: James Rouse
Producer: Benji Howell
Exec Producer: Rupert Reynolds-Maclean
DoP: Mark Wolfe
Production Designer: Guy Thompson
Wardrobe Stylist: Selina Wong
Editing Company: Work Post
Editor: Bill Smedley
Edit Assistant: Rebecca Quinn
Edit Producer: Antonia Porter

Post production: Untold Studios
EP: Tomek Zietkiewicz
Producer: Simon Downie/Jordan Malonga
VFX Supervisor: Ben Cronin
VFX Artists: Kia Coates
Colourist: Julien Alary
Colour Producer: Eli Sandal

Audio Post Production: Factory Studios
Sound designers: Anthony Moore / Josh Campbell
Music Supervision: Sean Craigie-Atherton @ Manderley Music
Composer/Arranger: Guy Farley

Photography:
Photographer: Mary McCartney 
Agent: LGA
Production: LGA
Retouching: Hand of God 
Design: King Henry 

Medialab:
Integration Director: Nick Parker
Client Managing Director: Owen Taylor 
Business Director: George Gwilliam
Senior Account Manager:  Emma Tipping 
Account Manager: Amy Bevis