Cannes Lions

Lost in Time

DENTSU CREATIVE, Shanghai / JIAN AI ELDERLY CHARITY CENTER / 2024

Awards:

1 Bronze Cannes Lions
4 Shortlisted Cannes Lions
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Overview

Entries

Credits

OVERVIEW

Background

China bears the burden of the world’s largest Alzheimer’s population, exceeding 10 million people suffering from the disease.

The progression of Alzheimer’s is such that the patient gradually becomes less capable of performing basic daily tasks without assistance. They start to lose cognitive abilities, spatial awareness, and the ability to process language and regulate emotions.

Unfortunately, 70% of those impacted miss out on early detection and treatment. Early detection and intervention could help slow down the disease’s progression by 15%.

Data source: https://alzres.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s13195-022-01047-y

Idea

Presenting Lost in Time.

We turned the clock drawings by elderly Alzheimer’s patients into an evocative timepiece collection, campaign and exhibition, offering a window into the time lost by those with the Alzheimer’s disease and their distorted world.

These distinctive artworks captivated the curiosity of onlookers, drawing them to understand the significance behind the clock faces. The artwork served as both a successful awareness initiative and a fundraising tactic.

Strategy

The Clock Drawing Test is a widely accepted and effective clinical tool for early detection of Alzheimer's disease. By drawing a clock, adding numbers, and setting the clock hands, the test examines multiple cognitive functions such as spatial navigation, memory, abstract thinking, math, and temporal navigation.

When memory, execution, or visuospatial ability are off, the clock can be distorted and unintelligible. In a lost world and distorted time caused by Alzheimer’s, seniors experience a failure to track the passage of time. For Alzheimer’s patients and their families, time is especially precious.

Our approach was to leverage The Clocking-Drawing Test, allowing those untouched by the disease to experience the unique challenges of the condition.

Though there is no known cure available for this condition, the sooner the disease is recognized and accepted, the better opportunity for slowing its advancement.

Execution

Partnering with Jian Ai Charity, a non-profit focused on elderly brain health, we carried out clock-drawing test on hundreds of seniors suffering from Alzheimer's disease. The clock drawings reflected the different phases of early, middle, and advanced symptom advancement.

On World Alzheimer's Day 2023 on September 21st, we transformed Shanghai’s metro station into a distorted world of Alzheimer’s patients, showcasing five abnormal clocks to encourage passersby to learn more about Alzheimer’s and CDT.

The exhibition captured the attention of 2,748,900 people, with 17,867,850 visits, all witnessing a captivating temporal dislocation.

During World Health Day 2024 on April 4th, we hosted an auction on China's leading resale platform Xianyu, with all profits from watch sales going towards supporting patients and promoting disease prevention and control. This marks the charity's first-ever auction.

Data source: STDecaux

Outcome

The free media placement at the metro station, sponsored by STDecaux, allowed for widespread exposure and generated inquiries about Jian Ai Charity and offered support for Alzheimer's patients.

Over 400 media platforms, including television, radio, and print, as well as influencers and individuals, joined forces without any financial resources to drive the online conversation about Alzheimer's disease.

The more these clocks are designed and produced, the greater the potential for positive change. Nevertheless, our hope is a decrease in clocks like this and an increase in public awareness of the disease and the Clock Drawing Test.

We are engaging with healthcare professionals to incorporate this early detection test in yearly physical exams across China. Bringing diagnostic testing out of the hospital and into everyday life will benefit more people.

21 million people reached

120,000 people participated the auction

493 won press & posts

129 million impact

106% donations increased YoY