Communication Strategy | Creative | Media

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‘The First One’ is our new campaign for Alzheimer’s Research UK that builds on the momentum of the #FORACURE brand NorthStar we launched in September 2023. Since then, the charity has seen a 35% increase in income and has climbed from 14th to 8th place among UK charities for ‘belief in cause’ (YouGov). Our mission continues with greater urgency than ever before.
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‘The First One’ launches ahead of World Alzheimer’s Day on 21st Sept 2026, and strategically swaps conventional charity's advertising’ for radical optimism; a cure is now in sight and no longer a distant dream and, as our campaign calls-out,“Somewhere, someone alive today could be the first one cured of Alzheimer’s".

At the centre of the campaign is a cinematic hero film created to own the visual concept of crowds, representing the immense scale and universal human relevance of Alzheimer’s. In a single continuous, seamless camera movement through a bustling British park captured people of all ages to highlight how dementia touches every generation. The film features the voice of BAFTA-winner Aimee Lou Wood, who said after her recording "I was struck by an overwhelming sense of optimism when watching the film for the first time. The idea that someone alive today could be the first person to be cured of Alzheimer's disease is breathtaking; it shows how research is transforming something that, for too long, has felt completely out of reach". The film is also appropriately sound tracked by iconic rock band The Cure, the perfect choice for the mission of Alzheimer’s Research UK.

With media planned and bought by Beyond, the campaign goes live nationwide across TV, Connected TV, radio, social, and cinema. Along side this, the rollout is packed with custom, disruptive media partnerships. These include mirrored out-of-home takeovers that visually reflect passersby into the ads themselves, re-imagining Pearl & Dean’s iconic cinema idents, teaming upwith The Rest Is History podcast to link modern Alzheimer’s research to historic scientific breakthroughs, and leveraging corporate partners such as Dobbies Garden Centres, Roadchef and The Perfume Shop, to reach audiences across every aspect of daily life.

"This campaign shows what’s possible when creativity and media unite around a truly powerful and strategic concept," noted Jonny Ray, Co-Founder and Partner at Beyond. "This has been an incredible team effort with our clients and brilliant production and media partners. Working as one allowed us to create a powerful story and system that will resonate deeply and maximise the impact for Alzheimer’s Research UK.”

"Alzheimer’s Research UK is on a mission to accelerate progress towards a cure and this new campaign perfectly captures the urgency and hope of this moment," said Director of Strategic Marketing, Carolyne Coupel, who adds, "Shifting our focus away from helplessness toward radicaloptimism allows us to rally the public and speed up funding for a cure. Partnering with Beyond across creative and media as one team gave us the exact momentum and scale we need to reach our ambitious fundraising goals."