Global branding agency Interbrand steps up awareness campaign for Alzheimer’s Australia as Ita Buttrose leads march on Parliament House
Updated – Australians from across the country marched on Parliament House in Canberra yesterday to demand $500 million over five years to address the dementia epidemic.
The action took place as a new report reveals the extent of the looming dementia epidemic, with the number of Australians with dementia expected to increase to 385,000 people, up by almost 50 per cent in 10 years.
Alzheimer’s Australia President Ita Buttrose, who led the march, said there will be 75,000 baby boomers with dementia by 2020.
Says Buttrose: “The year 2020 is just eight short years away but we are not prepared. Dementia, which includes Alzheimer’s disease, is one of the fastest growing major disease burdens Australia faces. It will be the third largest source of health and residential care spending by 2030. In 2005, the Australian Government made a commitment to fight dementia, injecting $320 million over five years to the Dementia Initiative. Despite figures indicating the situation would get worse, the Initiative has been discontinued.These new figures demonstrate the urgency with which Australia must respond. Dementia must be part of aged care reform.”
The new report, Dementia Across Australia: 2011- 2050, released yesterday has found that without a significant medical breakthrough, the number of Australians with dementia is expected to soar from an estimated 267,000 in 2011 to almost one million people by 2050.
The report, prepared for Alzheimer’s Australia by Deloitte Access Economics, has looked at dementia prevalence projections for every Federal Electorate across Australia. In some electorates, the number of people with dementia is expected to increase fivefold, in just 40 years.
Buttrose adds: “There are no winners here. Our ageing population means that every Federal Electorate in Australia can expect to experience significant growth in the number of people with dementia. I have never taken part in a protest march before in my life, but this issue is too important to ignore. Action must be taken and it must be taken now.”
The CEO of Alzheimer’s Australia, Glenn Rees, said Bupa Care Services, Carers Australia, United Voice, the Australian Nursing Federation and Catholic Health Australia, among others, united in the fight by joining in the march.
Says Rees: “Dementia is the chronic disease of the 21st century. It is unacceptable that the Federal Government has terminated guaranteed funding for essential dementia programs and support services. We demand positive action through a $500 million Dementia Action Plan over five years. This will provide funding to promote dementia awareness; achieve timely diagnosis; provide quality dementia care; make Australians aware they may be able to reduce their risk of dementia; and invest in dementia research.
Rees continued: “$100 million per annum is only two per cent of what the Government currently spends on dementia care. In this context, it is not a large amount of money. But it will make a very significant difference – targeting priorities that are not being addressed.”
Rees said that a copy of the report has been given to every Member of Parliament and Senator to ensure they understand what the dementia epidemic means for their constituency.
“Australia must fight dementia the way it has fought cancer and heart disease,” Rees added.
“A paper prepared by Alzheimer’s Australia on National Strategies to Address Dementia around the world showed there is a growing recognition that dementia can only be beaten through national action.”
The march on Parliament House also marks the unveiling of Alzheimer’s Australia’s new branding which aims to better position Alzheimer’s Australia to inform the community about dementia and continue to support the hundreds of thousands affected by dementia. The work is a result of an 18-month-long partnership with global branding agency, Interbrand.
12 Comments
Great cause. Crap creative. Real crap.
What a missed opportunity.
And why is everything photoshopped?
I agree with the above. This is a great cause, and you should be able to do great creative for it that actually works.
This kind of shit is why thousands are not marching on Canberra tomorrow.
‘Global branding agency Interbrand’, who have branded themselves so poorly I’ve never heard of them, should be ashamed. As should Ita Buttrose, who knows a good campaign from her time as Chair of the AIDS panel when they made Grim Reaper.
I’d make gags about this being forgetable, but it is too depressing.
Seriously? I’m a copywriter and I’ve still heard of them. See: Best Global Brands report and one of the most highly awarded design agencies in the country.
You are an idiot.
Interbrand.
OK for a logo but don’t ask those guys to do any ads…
…very poor choice of agency from the marketing manager.
Learn. Move on.
We know nothing of the brand and the thinking behind it, how can you call it crap?
There isn’t much we can comment on without seeing it on real applications and in action. Which should come later on, as it was only launched yesterday. Give them the benefit of the doubt.
I hereby announce that I will refrain from making any arrogant remarks without seeing the full potential of this (or any other) rebrand. And in doing that I avoid making myself look stupid. I suggest we all do the same.
Surely that rampage through Parliament House by senior citizens on the day the carbon price legislation was passed was the Alzheimers people – confused and disoriented, and a day early.
To smartypants.
I was at that march with was wife who has this condition. By the way she was diagnosed at 52 now 57, That’s not a senior citizen. He personal cost to me so far is over $300,000. This is a epic thsat could bankrupt many nations. By the way the carbon dioxide tax legislation was the day before.
Alan, it seems you type using a straw in your mouth. Considering that handicap, you did well to hit a few keys. Well done!
So Alan, were you one of the fools chanting ‘Democracy is dead’? Clearly if it was, you wouldn’t be allowed to protest in the first place, let alone take your misguided, misinformed protest into the Parliament. You would, most likely have been shot by forces keeping control on behalf of the dictatorship. But that didn’t happen, did it. You are extremely fortunate to be living in Australia. I doubt whether you appreciate that. From your struggle to express yourself, I suspect you don’t have the intellectual capacity to understand that, either.
Dear Superior
No we were not that group. Democracy is alive. We had the Minister for Health and Ageing address us outside along with the show minister. Inside we had two member s address us privately and then the entire group meet in a conference room.
I agree with the above, the government has to continiue the guaranteed funding for essential dementia programs and support services otherwise the number of Australians with dementia is expected to soar!!