The Write Thing for Parkinson

How do you create awareness for the underestimated Parkinson’s disease AND give patients the therapy they need?

How do you campaign for better awareness of Parkinson’s disease?

The Flemish Parkinson’s association wanted to campaign for a better awareness of the underestimated Parkinson’s disease. Patients – 10% of the estimated 65.000 are under 50 – have to cope with social consequences, such as job loss and isolation. On top of symptoms like the gradual loss of fine motor skills.

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You combine it with a writing therapy that patients need

More than awareness, patients need therapy. Research shows writing on a daily basis slows down the loss of these skills. We combined an awareness campaign with a writing therapy. We invited people to send their personal text messages to their loved ones via dothewritething.be. Forty patients handwrote those messages on a beautiful card.

And create a high impact in thousands of letterboxes

On the back of the card the patients signed a powerful call to action that made people aware of Parkinson’s consequences: help us with our writing therapy and send a card too. That way we activated receivers to become senders in return. The postcards created a high impact in thousands of letterboxes.

Result: more than 1.200 hours worth of therapy for the PD patients

  • More than 1.200 hours worth of therapy for the PD patients.
  • 2.916.444 Flemish people reached in two weeks time and made more aware of Parkinson's disease.
  • More awareness on Facebook through 288.875 impressions and on Instagram through 625.000 impressions, thanks to the support of many Flemish celebrities.
  • More than € 300.000 in earned media: through Instagram, Facebook, press content, radio & TV.
  • 16.975 visitors of the online/mobile platform dothewritething.be got an even better understanding of Parkinson's disease.

Credits

  • Strategy

    Tom Vingerhoets

  • Concept

    Klaartje Galle
    Régine Smetz
    Maarten Renders

  • Creative director

    Jan Dejonghe
    Sebastien De Valck
    Arnaud Pitz

  • Account handling

    Carl Van Den Hove

  • Digital Project Manager

    Filip Gezel

  • Development

    Dreams & Creations

  • Social Team

    Stefan Ceunen
    Ellen Potoms
    Laura Van Roey

  • Design

    Eric Leurquin
    Vincent De Boeck

  • Studio

    Lut Van Lombeek
    Lieven De Smet

  • Print Production

    Sofie Verschaeren
    Thérèse Deru

  • RTV Production

    Patricia Van De Kerckhove

  • Video Team

    Neil Skeet
    Sander Vandenbroucke
    Gedeon Depauw

  • Third parties

    Polyprint
    Caviar