‘Change The Ending’ campaign film raises awareness about dementia
Alzheimer’s Research has produced this film, premiering on World Alzheimer’s Day, September (21), with the aim of highlighting the pressing necessity to discover a dementia cure
In a recent survey conducted by Alzheimer's Research UK, it was found that less than half of the British public (49%) could identify memory loss as an effect of dementia, and over a fifth (22%) admitted to having no understanding of how dementia impacts people.
This startling lack of awareness is highlighted in the UK’s leading dementia research charity’s new campaign film, "Change The Ending," narrated by Oscar-winning actress Olivia Colman.
The animation vividly illustrates how dementia deprives individuals of their 'happily ever after,' aiming to increase awareness of the profound impact of this condition. Its purpose is to inspire support for the charity's quest to discover a cure.
Dementia can cause a range of distressing symptoms, including memory loss, personality changes, communication difficulties, hallucinations, incontinence, and the need for assistance with everyday tasks like eating and bathing, a press release from the charity informed.
Despite nearly one million people in the UK living with dementia, there is a concerning lack of knowledge about its effects.
The survey, conducted by YouGov and commissioned by Alzheimer's Research UK, comprising 2,162 people revealed that only 12% recognised that dementia leads to a loss of independence while 21% were aware it causes trouble with managing daily tasks.
A mere 11% were aware of its impact on personal relationships; 5% understood its effect on communication. Only 4% recognised its role in loss of body and motor control, and 2% acknowledged its influence on managing finances.
The emotional campaign film, (part animation, part live-action) created in partnership with creative agency Above & Beyond, tells the story of a prince and princess whose fairytale life is shattered when the prince develops dementia.
It vividly portrays the various effects of dementia, including forgetfulness, the inability to perform everyday tasks, fearfulness, paranoia, loss of mobility, and the need for care.
Alzheimer's Research UK has produced this film, premiering on World Alzheimer's Day, September (21), with the aim of highlighting the pressing necessity to discover a dementia cure.
Despite significant advancements in dementia research, especially with the introduction of new Alzheimer's drugs like lecanemab and donanemab in recent months, the charity emphasises that enhancing public awareness is crucial to accelerate progress.
Actress Colman, who has personal experience with dementia's impact, expressed her support for the campaign.
She said, “The work Alzheimer’s Research UK does is so important, and I was proud to lend my voice to this campaign – it lays bare the realities of dementia in such a powerful and thought-provoking way. I was holding back tears narrating the film as dementia destroys people’s ‘happily ever afters’, and we must do everything we can to end the pain and distress it causes. I’d urge everyone to join me and get behind Alzheimer’s Research UK to help drive them towards a cure.”
In addition to the Change The Ending campaign, the charity has released a new film featuring supporter Frank Littleford and his wife, Alison. Frank was diagnosed with Alzheimer's in 2020, and the film illustrates the impact of dementia on their lives.
Frank's involvement in dementia research gives them hope for the future.
Frank said, “By raising this vital awareness, I hope it will help inspire others to support Alzheimer's Research UK. This charity is at the heart of the efforts to find a cure, and the breakthroughs their researchers make are going to be vital in ensuring people don't have to go through what me, Alison and our family are going through."
Hilary Evans, chief executive of Alzheimer's Research UK, emphasised the urgency of the campaign and the need for increased awareness. She said, “While we’re making great strides in dementia research, and new treatments are on the horizon, there is still much more work needed to save people from dementia.”
The charity, at the forefront of dementia research since 1992, is dedicated to revolutionising the treatment, diagnosis, and prevention of dementia.
Researchers supported by the charity have achieved over 4,500 breakthroughs in dementia research, some of which have paved the path for the experimental therapies currently undergoing clinical trials.
Their 10-year plan, "Alzheimer's Research UK: Towards A Cure," outlines their vision to change the course of dementia by 2033 through research and action.
Jay's grandma’s popcorn from Gujarat is now selling out everywhere.
Ditched the influencer route and began posting hilarious videos online.
Available in Sweet Chai and Spicy Masala, all vegan and gluten-free
Jayspent 18 months on a list. Thousands of names. Influencers with follower counts that looked like phone numbers. He was going to launch his grandmother's popcorn the right way: send free bags, wait for posts, pray for traction. That's the playbook, right? That's what you do when you're a nobody selling something nobody asked for.
Then one interaction made him snap. The entitlement. The self-importance. The way some food blogger treated his family's recipe like a favour they were doing him. He looked at his spreadsheet. Closed it. Picked up his phone and decided to burn it all down.
Now he makes videos mocking the same people he was going to beg for help. Influencers weeping over the wrong luxury car. Creators demanding payment for chewing food on camera. Someone having a breakdown about ice cubes. And guess what? The internet ate it up. His popcorn keeps selling out. And from Gujarat, his grandmother's 60-year-old recipe is now moving units because her grandson got mad enough to be funny about it.
Jay’s grandma’s popcorn from Gujarat is now selling out everywhere Instagram/daadisnacks
The kitchen story
Daadi means grandmother in Hindi. Jay's daadi came to America from Gujarat decades ago. Every weekend, she made popcorn with the spices she grew up with, including cardamom, cinnamon, and chilli mixes. It was her way of keeping home close while living somewhere that didn't taste like it.
Jay wanted that in stores. Wanted brown faces in the snack aisle. It didn’t happen overnight. It took a couple of years to get from a family recipe to something they could actually sell. Everyone pitched in, including his grandmom, uncle, mum. The spices come from small local farmers. There are just two flavours for now, Sweet Chai and Spicy Masala. It’s all vegan and gluten-free, packed in bright bags that instantly feel South Asian.
The videos don't look like marketing. They look like someone venting at 11 PM after scrolling too long. He nails the nasal influencer voice. The fake sympathy. “I can’t believe this,” he says in that exaggerated influencer tone, “they gave me the cheaper car, only eighty grand instead of one-twenty.” That clip alone blew up, pulling in close to nine million views.
Most people don't know they're watching a snack brand. They think it's social commentary. Jay never calls himself an influencer. He says he’s a creator, period. There’s a difference, and he makes sure people know it. His TikTok has around three hundred thousand followers, Instagram about half that. The comments read like a sigh of relief, people fed up with fake polish, finally hearing someone say what everyone else was thinking.
This fits into something called deinfluencing; people pushing back against the buy-everything-trust-nobody cycle. But Jay's version has teeth. He's naming names, calling out the economics. Big venture money flows to chains with good lighting. Family businesses with actual stories get ignored because their content isn't slick enough.
Jay watched his New York neighbourhood change. Chains moved in. Influencers posted about places that had funding and were aesthetic. The old spots, the family ones, got left behind. His videos are about that gap. The erosion of local culture by money and aesthetics.
"Big chains and VC-funded businesses are promoted at the expense of local ones," he said. His content doesn't just roast influencers. It promotes other small food makers who can't afford to play the game. He positions Daadi as a defender of something real against something plastic.
And it's working. Not just philosophically. Financially. The videos drive traffic. People click through, try the popcorn, come back. The company can't keep stock. That's the proof.
Daadi popcorn features authentic Gujarat flavours like Sweet Chai and Spicy Masala, all vegan and gluten-free Daadi Snacks
The blowback
People unfollow because they think he's too harsh. Jay's take: "I would argue I need to be meaner."
In May, he posted that he's not chasing content creation money like most people at his follower count. "I post to speak my mind and help my family's snack biz." That's a different model. Most brands pay influencers to make everything look perfect. They chase viral polish, and Jay does the opposite. In fact, he weaponises rawness and treats criticism like a product feature.
The internet mostly backs him. Reddit threads light up with support. One commenter was "toxic influencers choking on their matcha lattes searching their Balenciaga bags." Another: "Influencers are boring and unoriginal and can get bent." The anger is shared. Jay simply gave it a microphone and a snack to buy.
Jay's success says something about where things are going. People are done with curated perfection. They can smell the artificiality now. They respond to brands that feel like humans rather than committees. Daadi doesn't sell aspiration. Doesn't sell a lifestyle. Sells popcorn and a point of view.
The quality matters, including the spices, the sourcing, and the family behind it. But the edge matters too. He’s not afraid to say what most brands tiptoe around. “We just show who we are,” Jay says. “No pretending, no gloss. People can feel that and that’s when they reach for the popcorn.”
Most small businesses can't afford to play the traditional game. Can't pay influencers. Can't hire agencies. Can't fake their way into feeds. Maybe they don't need to. Maybe honesty and humour can cut through if they're sharp enough. If the product backs it up. If the story is real and the person telling it isn't trying to sound like a PR script.
This started with a list Jay didn't use. The business took off the moment he stopped trying to play by the usual rules and started speaking his mind. Turns out, honesty sells. And yes, the popcorn really does taste good.
Daadi Snacks merch dropInstagram/daadisnacks
The question is whether this scales. Whether other small businesses watch this and realise they don't need to beg for attention from people who don't care. Right now, Daadi keeps selling out. People keep watching. The grandmother's recipe that was supposed to need influencer approval is doing fine without it. Better than fine. Turns out the most effective marketing strategy might just be giving a damn and not being afraid to show it.
By clicking the 'Subscribe’, you agree to receive our newsletter, marketing communications and industry
partners/sponsors sharing promotional product information via email and print communication from Garavi Gujarat
Publications Ltd and subsidiaries. You have the right to withdraw your consent at any time by clicking the
unsubscribe link in our emails. We will use your email address to personalize our communications and send you
relevant offers. Your data will be stored up to 30 days after unsubscribing.
Contact us at data@amg.biz to see how we manage and store your data.