Oranges are for Sharing... and Curing Dementia

What’s so special about an orange?

Apart from its brightly-coloured exterior, sweetly-citric interior and burst of vitamin C, it’s also a fruit that clearly sums up the changes within a dementia-riddled brain.

In a shocking spot for Alzheimer’s Research UK created by ais London, award-winning actor Christopher Eccleston uses an orange to show the physical deterioration of the brain and the reality of living with Alzheimer’s.

Most horrific is the news that sufferers can lose up to 140 grams of their brain in the latter stages of Alzheimer’s – equivalent to the weight of an orange.  

Aardman Animations supported the project by intricately animating the orange.

“Animation is a great way of communicating difficult messages, delivering them in an easily understandable and memorable way. Using the orange as a metaphor for the brain makes this film very strong because the idea and the execution work perfectly together,” says Aardman executive producer Heather Wright.  

By urging the public to #ShareTheOrange, it is hoped that the campaign will re-educate the public about the reality of the disease and increase funding for research.

Taking a similar approach to last year’s celebrity-populated ad (below), the campaign aims to simplify the effect of dementia so that people can understand how the condition operates and dispel any misconceptions.

To find out more or to donate visit the website. Just don’t forget to share the orange!