By 2050, dementia cases are expected to triple in Portugal. Experts say Alzheimer’s disease will be the epidemic of the 21st century. However, most people - especially the younger ones - never think that Alzheimer's will affect them. Our challenge was to raise awareness about the imminence of this disease and the need to prevent it, and also to raise support for the Alzheimer Portugal association.

Worldwide around 50 million people live with dementia, and this number is projected to increase to 152 million. However, recent studies found out that 12 risk factors might prevent or delay up to 40% of dementias. The conclusion is that is never too early and never too late in the life course for dementia prevention. Acting now on dementia prevention, by raising awareness and literacy about the matter, will vastly improve living for individuals with dementia and their families, and thus society.

To raise awareness and to make people more understanding about Alzheimer's, we did what this disease usually does: we went into people's homes and switched the relatives in their personal photographs for unknown people. So, when they arrived home and saw the altered portraits, they had the same sensation of confusion caused by Alzheimer's.

Although Alzheimer's affects the elderly, in this campaign we wanted to speak mainly to younger people (25-55), who are the ones who usually don't think about it, but still have time to prevent the disease. The aim was to show that Alzheimer's can enter your home when you least expect it. Then, on the campaign website, people could find out more about the ways to prevent the disease, by knowing the 12 modifiable risk factors, and also how to support the Alzheimer Portugal association.

With the help of accomplices (members of the family), we entered some people’s homes, grabbed their personal photos and switched the loved ones on them for unknown people. When they got home, we filmed their reactions and, based on that, we’ve created a video with the motto “We never think we’ll forget those we consider unforgettable”.

Besides the internet publishing, the campaign gained significant PR attention and the video was freely broadcast on the country's main television channels, entering the homes of millions of people without any media costs.

The campaign won the support of the main television channels in Portugal and reached more than 3.2 million people. With the news and reports about the campaign, we achieved 762,306 euros in PR value. The Project Coordinator of the Alzheimer association was invited for several interviews, where she was able to talk more about the disease and its prevention.