Family for VitaSen: promotional reminder for World Alzheimer's Day

To mark World Alzheimer's Day on September 21, the creative agency Family raised awareness of Alzheimer's with an unusual advertising concept—a three-part campaign. At the same time, it highlighted the specific support offered by VitaSen: a free initial consultation for older adults and their families. 

The print campaign aimed to be both unsettling and eye-opening: On that day, the Bieler Tagblatt published the exact same ad three times in a row. What seemed like a mistake at first glance turned out, upon closer inspection, to be a deliberate tactic conveying a powerful message. After all, the loss of short-term memory is one of the first signs of Alzheimer’s. 

With this simple yet striking idea, the campaign succeeded not only in surprising readers but also in immediately raising their awareness of the issue. At the same time, VitaSen positioned itself as a knowledgeable and approachable resource for those affected and their families. 

«We wanted to find a form that doesn’t lecture, but touches people—and in doing so, makes the invisible visible,» says Johnny Grubenmann, Creative Director at FAMILY. «Repeating the same ad makes it possible to convey the experience of Alzheimer’s in a single moment—and to link it directly to the support services available.» 

Barbara Burkhalter, a case manager and counselor at VitaSen, also emphasizes the importance of this: «It’s especially crucial for family members to be aware of low-threshold services like VitaSen’s initial consultation. With our clever triple-column ad, we’ve placed the message exactly where it will have the greatest impact.» 

The triple advertisement appeared on September 21, 2025, in the Bieler Tagblatt, which reached a broad audience in VitaSen’s target region with a readership of over 35,000 people.

Person in charge at the VitaSen Association: Barbara Burkhalter, Josefine Burkhalter (Case Management and Counseling); Person in charge at Family: Tobias Peters, Philip Meier, Cécile Ducourant, Severin Brinkert, Linus Konetschnig, Noam Josuè Dal Bosco Margiotta, Lukas Tadeu, Christian Reinhard, Johnny Grubenmann, Jan Walser, Florian Weitzel (Creative), Anina Trachsler, Tabea Mader, Amanda Bossard, Mark Becher, Sascha Djabbari, Svenja Hässig (Consulting), Mareike Hofer (Mediaunit FaMe), Claudio Catrambone (Overall Responsibility)