If there’s one Christmas advert you watch this year (feeling a bit overwhelmed by adverts? Us too) it’s the Alzheimers Research UK Christmas advert. Prepare yourself.
The cartoon, made by Aardman (think Wallace and Gromit) portrays the story of a little girl called Freya learning about father Christmas. Freya has grown up in a world where santa doesn’t exist, because he is suffering from the early effects of dementia. Freya makes it her mission to travel to the North Pole to enlist in the help of the elves to help Father Christmas remember who he is. Telling them that ‘if Santa has a disease, research can find a way to fix it.’ The advert is only being shown after 9pm, because the creators are worried it will upset children. I’m 25 and this advert upset me deeply, what a way to tug at our heart strings.
Freya then goes to Santa’s house, to find him staring into his fire with his red suit looking all forgetful. Oh my goodness Santa, WE BELIEVE.
Hilary Evans, the chief executive of Alzheimer’s Research UK told The Telegraph: ‘Santa is an important cultural figure, but the idea that he too could be affected drives home the point that dementia can strike those most special in our lives.’ More than 850,000 people in the UK suffer from dementia, with that number set to rise to over 1 million by 2025, according to the Alzheimer’s Society, and this advert is not only a stark reminder of this fact, but also a powerful message that we can help invest in research. The campaign is something we should all back, and this advert is the one we should all be tuning into this Christmas.
Like this? You might also be interested in…
Watching Seth Rogen’s Heartfelt Speech About His Mother-In-Laws Alzheimer’s Is Pretty Moving
The Most Heartfelt John Lewis Adverts Because Crying Is The Best Therapy For Everything Right Now
8 Ways To Have An Office Christmas Party Without Blowing Your Budget
Follow Alyss on Instagram @alyssbowen
This article originally appeared on The Debrief.