STOCKHOLM, SWEDEN – In Alzheimerfonden’s new campaign, created by Stockholm-based agency Kid, Alzheimer’s is visualized with painful clarity. Using personal photos of loved ones affected by the disease, the campaign transforms a familiar digital symbol – the loading icon – into a striking metaphor for memory loss.
We’re used to seeing the loading icon as a sign of lag and waiting. But here, it becomes something far more serious: the mental freeze when the brain no longer recognizes the people closest to us.
The campaign highlights a harsh reality: more than 160,000 people in Sweden live with some form of dementia today. And by 2050, that number is expected to double. Despite this, there is still no cure and few effective treatments. The urgency is real.
“We need more people to understand what Alzheimer’s does, – not just to individuals, but to entire families. Through powerful, emotional communication, we hope to raise both awareness and much-needed funding for research,” Alzheimerfonden Secretary General Liselotte Jansson said.
Airing alongside TV4’s documentary on Swedish artist Kim Kärnfalk and her personal experience with Alzheimer’s, the campaign is built to stir emotion and spark awareness.
“We wanted people to feel a hint of the frustration that Alzheimer’s brings – for both those affected and their families. The spinning wheel became the perfect metaphor: it reflects the confusion of the disease and the irritation we all feel when images won’t load,” said Christian Jörgensen and Ulf Paulsrud-Sirbäck, creatives at Kid.
The campaign can be seen across digital billboards donated by Ocean Outdoor, social media, and national TV, where it pulls viewers into the emotional experience of Alzheimer’s. Faces start to buffer. Names are lost. And memories fade.
