The Alzheimer's Society's ultimate vow

London based agency New Commercial Arts is behind this powerful and affecting new campaign for Alzheimer’s Society which highlights the struggles faced by those dealing with dementia.

Called The Ultimate Vow, the film, which is directed with heartbreaking aplomb by Biscuit's James Rouse, follows married couple Adam and Laura and the struggles their relationship faces from the moment Adam first experiences the early stages of dementia, struggles that only increase as his condition deteriorates. 

As the 100-second film plays out we hear Laura's voice as she narrates her wedding vows, juxtaposing one of the happiest days of her life with the most testing time of their long relationship. As the couple's struggles play out we see the arrival of an Alzheimer's Society Dementia Adviser and, with it, the support to both Adam and Laura need.

The film ends with a call for donations to "help end the devastation caused by dementia", narrated by Colin Firth, so that Alzheimer’s Society can continue raising vital funds, and give help and hope to everyone living with dementia.

Dealing with dementia can leave you feeling hopeless and completely disempowered, but through this project I have regained a little bit of that power back.

“My dad was diagnosed with dementia in his 60s," said Jules Middleton, a creative on the campaign," just at the start of my creative career, so I have lived through the devastation it causes. My mum told me if she had fully understood what the ‘in sickness’ of her wedding vows actually meant, she was unsure she would have committed to them. But, luckily for me, she did, and that promise (and relationship) is what created the kernel of the idea for The Ultimate Vow. Dealing with dementia can leave you feeling hopeless and completely disempowered, but through this project I have regained a little bit of that power back. Hopefully, through raising awareness of Alzheimer’s Society, more people will support their work and can access their services to get a little bit of power back in their lives too.”

“I wanted to work on The Ultimate Vow for a variety of reasons," added Rouse. "As a storyteller the script moved me greatly, the power of long-lasting love and commitment through the toughest of times. I knew I would love the opportunity to work with the right performers to bring these complex emotions alive. But I also wanted to work on the film for personal reasons, to make a small contribution to helping those living with this terrible condition. I, like many, have witnessed first-hand how it can affect both the person with the condition, and those that care for them, and it’s brutal. I sincerely hope that our film makes a difference."

Alongside the film, portraits of three real life couples, shot by Mary McCartney, will run across OOH and press, with each portrait telling the story of when the couple first made their own commitments and how Alzheimer’s Society has ‘vowed’ to do the same since the relationship first started between the charity and the couple.