David Blecken
Jun 22, 2015

End ALS Association aims to spread hope on World ALS Day

TOKYO - To mark World ALS Day today, a crowdfunded commercial initiated by ALS patient and advertising professional Hiro Fujita aims to raise awareness of the disease and its potential treatments.

Campaign Asia-Pacific announced the development of the campaign on 8 June. The work was funded by JapanGiving, a fundraising platform, on behalf of the End ALS Association, which Fujita founded. Fujita is a planner at McCann Worldgroup in Tokyo.

The commercial features Fujita, who is unable to speak directly due to a tracheotomy. Recording artist AI, a supporter of End ALS and a friend of Fujita's, speaks on his behalf to convey the message that in certain countries, ALS sufferers have access to "safe but unproven treatments" and in some cases are showing signs of recovery.

In Japan, the disease is seen as incurable, and treatment is limited and difficult to access. In addition, global awareness of ALS remains low, despite initiatives such as last year's 'Ice Bucket Challenge', which Fujita also participated in.

"We wait for the day where patients everywhere can try the clinical trials, to prove that ALS can be cured," Fujita says through AI. Through a computer, he continues: "Let's eliminate the words 'incurable disease'".

The video above is an English version. Here is the Japanese version:

 

Source:
Campaign Asia

Related Articles

Just Published

1 day ago

Creative Minds: Gian Nealega is a believer in the ...

Grit, determination, persistence and a whole lot of creativity has helped Dentsu Creative Philippines Gian Nealega shift lanes from training to be a nurse to becoming a creative leader.

1 day ago

Women to Watch 2024: Shilpa Sinha, McCann Worldgroup

Sinha’s strategic leadership at McCann Worldgroup unites cultural insight with creative impact. She also advocates for inclusive representation across regional and global work.

1 day ago

M&A deals continued to decline in 2024: COMVergence

Even as overall dealmaking declines, certain sectors such as ecommerce continue to be a major draw.