SIMPLIFIED STORIES

TitleSIMPLIFIED STORIES
BrandALZHEIMERLIGA
Product/ServiceBOOK FOR ALZHEIMER PATIENTS
Category E03. Experience Design
Entrant DDB BRUSSELS, BELGIUM
Idea Creation DDB BRUSSELS, BELGIUM
Credits
Name Company Position
Peter Ampe DDB Brussels Creative Director
Odin Saillé DDB Brussels Creative Dircetor
Bart Van Goethem DDB Brussels Copywriter
Silvie Erzeel DDB Brussels Account Manager
Anneleen Vande Voorde DDB Brussels Account Executive
Marlène Wautot DDB Brussels Graphic Designer
Kenn Van Lijsebeth DDB Brussels PR Manager
Stefan van den Boogaard DDB Brussels Creative
Tim Arts DDB Brussels Creative

The Campaign

Along with our client Alzheimer Liga, we teamed up with the University of Antwerp to develop a format for simplified books, adapted to people with Alzheimer disease. Based on the advice of field experts Paradox and the University of Antwerp we made Simplified Stories: rewritten and redesigned books for patients with early dementia. Stromae’s biography is the first. As a worldwide phenomenon he’s the perfect topic of conversation between patients and partners, friends and family. So we’re not only creating awareness about early dementia, we’ve created something that really helps.

Creative Execution

Simplified Stories are simplified versions of existing books. They have been made to encourage people with early-onset dementia to keep on reading, as this delays the illness. Simplified Stories tell the essence of a story, using shorter sentences and easier words, while special typography, additional images and summaries provide useful reminders.

Results

Far more important than the international press coverage, was the massive response. We received hundreds of heartwarming reactions and mentions. Even the Flemish minister of healthcare wrote a beautiful review about the project on hin owned media. Some patients wrote:“Finally another book in my bookshelf.” - Patrick “My wife was surprised to see me reading again.” - Danny “This book encouraged me to read again.” - Anne. 3.500 books were distributed.

The Simplified Stories project calls for people suffering from Alzheimer disease to take up on reading again. Not only because reading slows down the process, but also to give them something to be proud of again. Over the years it gets harder and harder for patients to read because the storyline would get too complicated. That's why we created books in a completely reinvented form. It resulted in numerous Alzheimer patients reading the first version of Simplified Stories. Something we are more than proud of.

Normal books or newspapers become too hard to read for them, which is a pity because reading can develop one’s cognitive skills. Instead of creating an awareness campaign, we did something that really helps. With our client Alzheimer Liga, we teamed up with the University of Antwerp to develop a format for simplified books, adapted to people with Alzheimer disease. The main strategy about this project was quite simple: we used our smarts to do something good, something that would make a difference.