Author Stephen King once said that “books are a uniquely portable magic,” a statement which makes all bookworms concur in unison. Besides being some sort of an anthem amongst book lovers, this very own declaration perfectly describes the work that DDB Brussels did for Alzheimerliga, the Alzheimer League in Belgium, back in 2016.
Committed to helping people with dementia not lose their cognitive abilities, the Brussels-based agency joined forces with the University of Antwerp to develop a format for simplified books. Together they adapted them in such manner so that people suffering from Alzheimer’s disease can enjoy reading with ease. Based on the experts’ advice, the creative agency meticulously crafted “Simplified Stories,” a series of books that, aside from making the headlines of this week’s #ThrowBrandThursday column, kindly reminds everyone that patients with dementia can really be helped by slowing down the condition using literacy.
Alzheimer’s patients usually find it hard to concentrate and stay connected to society. Yet, research has proved that reading can slow down the symptoms of the dreaded disease. So why not give such people something to spend their time on and stop AD from progressing? DDB Brussels was the one to find an answer to this problem, while Creative Directors Peter Ampe and Odin Saille were the ones to design the books that, eventually, empowers people with dementia to keep reading. The plan that lies behind this project was to develop not only an awareness campaign but one that really helps people.
Singer Stromae’s biography was the first book to be published. As a worldwide phenomenon, the Belgian artist represents the perfect topic for conversation between patients and their friends or family. The compilation is a simplified version of an already-existing book. It tells the essence of the story, using shorter sentences and easier words, special typography, images, and useful summaries. During this process, more than 8000 words were edited out so that the readers can enjoy the book with ease.
“We didn’t just try to keep patients reading, we also tried to encourage them to be more social and interact with their families,” says Ampe. “That’s why we picked Stromae, our most successful and popular music artist, who is known by young and old. We created a conversation starter, a family moment,” he continues.
The books were tested on ten Alzheimer’s patients, which meant that they were judged by both users and then clients. Ampe remembers that the experience turned out to be a highly-positive one and he even calls it “truly amazing.” “I will always remember the story of a patient who had his own library at home but started to throw away his books because he couldn’t read them anymore. His passion was gone. It was simply too frustrating. But thanks to Simplified Stories, he could read again. We are indescribably proud and grateful,” he adds.
Simplified Stories have been a success: It received many awards at different creative festivals. But more than that, the Flemish Minister of Healthcare wrote a beautiful review about this initiative on his own social media. Some patients decided to further complement his statement: “Finally another book in my bookshelf,” – Patrick, “My wife was surprised to see me reading again,” – Danny, “This book encouraged me to read again,” – Anne. Around 3,500 books were distributed so that Alzheimer’s patients can once again immerse themselves in the wonderful world of literacy.