For the very first time the « On this day » Facebook feature was twisted to put users in an Alzheimer’s patient’s shoes.

3 million people across France opened their Facebook account and were faced with a "On this day" picture they couldn’t possibly remember - because it wasn’t a photo of them.

For one day, they found themselves plunged into confusion by not recognizing what was presented to them by Facebook as a memory of theirs. Had they simply forgotten this good time? Were they going crazy ?

For 24h, 3 million Facebook users were faced with an « On this day » picture that didn’t belong to them.

In fact it was not really a picture but a sponsored post that asked the user if they recognized the photo, and if not, to follow a link. Some thought, “This must be a mistake; the algorithm got messed up.” Others wondered if their mind was functioning correctly. The link brought them to the France Alzheimer’s Association’s website. Because for people with Alzheimer’s disease, not recognizing their own memories is their everyday reality.

During the first 2 hours of the campaign there was an explosive response with more than 45,000 reactions and comments on Facebook and Twitter. In just one day, we generated massive awareness for Alzheimer's, with our campaign gaining attraction from National TV shows and International press. The traffic on the France Alzheimer's website increased by 45%.