ALS makes all of your muscles stop one by one. Little is known about the cause and the disease is incurable. On average, patients die about 3 years after being diagnosed. It’s cynical, but this is the main reason that the pharmaceutical industry does not invest in scientific research.

Nine Dutch ALS patients were part of a special project. Under the watchful eyes of friends and family they participated in a film and photo shoot, to raise awareness of ALS and collect money for scientific research. Not for themselves, because their campaign statements are aired after they have died.

To put this thought-provoking campaign in the right perspective, the campaign was launched on the national news. Later that evening it was the main topic in the nation’s biggest talk show. In the following months all major newspapers and magazines published reports featuring participating patients and their loved ones as ambassadors.

Although the ALS Foundation Netherlands has no campaign budget at all and depends on free ad space, the campaign ran on TV and radio, outdoor, in cinemas, via bannering, social media, a website and in print. And it still continues, as each of the participants lose the fight against ALS.