“Imperfect Yet Coherent”: Crafting an Animated World That Understands Alzheimer’s

When your once ruthless chess opponent becomes a shadow of their former self – it’s clear that something’s wrong. Instead of letting it slide, this observation became a gateway for the early detection and prevention of Alzheimer’s disease in this poignant campaign titled ‘Check, Mate’ from the Voices of Alzheimer’s foundation (VoA), created pro bono by agency McKinney, and animation experts, Nathan Love.

It was a project spurred on by the sheer number of people who, unfortunately, have a first-person perspective on the impact of Alzheimer’s on families and friends.

For Darcy McCarthy, executive director at McKinney, the cause is a deeply personal one. “I have a particularly close connection and have volunteered and sat on the board with the Brooklyn Walk to End Alzheimer’s for 10 years. At one of the first events I attended, Jim Taylor’s [co-founder and CEO of VoA] late wife, Geri Taylor, spoke about her experience and journey with Alzheimer’s, and I was immediately captivated and committed to following her story. When Jim sought out help to amplify the foundation’s messages, we jumped at the opportunity.”

For McKinney, pro bono work such as ‘Check, Mate’ is fundamental to its purpose, offering an opportunity to leverage the agency’s talent, tools and resources to amplify causes that are in need of a louder, far-reaching voice. “We believe our creative power carries a responsibility,” Darcy explains. “It’s how we ensure our impact extends beyond commercial success, enriching our communities and challenging our teams.

“These projects invigorate our agency, pushing our creative boundaries while reinforcing our core values,” she adds. “Pro bono work keeps us grounded, reminding us that the most powerful campaigns are often those that serve the greater good. It’s how we stay true to our mission: using creativity to make a tangible, positive difference in the world.”

Meanwhile, for animation and character experts Nathan Love, the emotional weight of the brief and “the chance to tell a story that mattered” encouraged the company to come on board. “I’ve been doing this for many, many years, across different countries and projects, and every now and then a piece comes along that reminds me why I started,” says director Carlos Lascano.

“‘Check, Mate’ was that reminder,” he adds. “It wasn’t about money or advertising metrics, it was about touching people. About using fiction and craft to say something universal, and drive positive action in the real world.”

In McKinney and Nathan Love, VoA co-founder and CEO Jim Taylor found partners that were as invested in the cause as he is. After losing his wife to Alzheimer’s, that’s everything he could have wished for. “From the very start, McKinney and Nathan Love approached this project with genuine passion for the cause and a deep understanding of the Alzheimer’s experience,” he shares. “Their creativity is evident in the craft; from the emotional storytelling to the art direction, the design, and the sound.

“This work stands apart in ways that feel both bold and human,” he continues, reflecting on the animated tale of two friends who refuse to be torn apart by memory loss and cognitive decline. “It was clear from the start to the final product that this piece would be deeply connected to the people it’s meant to reach. We're proud to get it out into the world.”

Capturing the Passage of Time

The campaign, which launched across VoA’s website and social media around World Alzheimer’s Day on September 21st, is led by a vibrant, mixed media animation. McKinney’s creative directors Julianna Strong and Lev Sloujitel explain that the concept for the film was inspired by “the handwritten notes and Post-its that so often carry the memories of those living with Alzheimer’s, and by the cognitive strength nurtured through games like chess.”

Nathan Love were the ideal partners to retain these deeply human elements, and ensure that craft was always at the heart of the story. “We partnered with Nathan Love to create a deeply tactile, emotional film using cut paper, collage and papier-mâché to handcraft our characters and scenes,” say Julianna and Lev.

For Carlos, paper is more than a resource to scribble ideas and sketches on to, it’s central to his craft and evolving thought process. “Paper has always been the beginning… every idea I’ve ever had from my first short films to my commercial work started as a sketch on paper. But paper is not only a tool, it’s a metaphor,” he explains. “It starts smooth and untouched, and with time it carries folds, scars, wrinkles. It holds memory. And when the theme is Alzheimer’s, that fragility and permanence became impossible to ignore.

“So we wanted paper not only as a material, but as the very soul of the piece. By mixing handcrafted paper figures with digital tools, we created a world that was fragile yet strong, imperfect yet coherent. That duality felt like the only honest way to tell this story.”

“Animation gave us the freedom to capture the passage of time in a way that live action simply couldn’t,” add Julianna and Lev, “Through handcrafted details and visual transitions, we were able to symbolise memory, change, and continuity with seamless fluidity.

“The tactile nature of the cut paper and collage also brought warmth and humanity to the story, making the message both emotionally resonant and universally accessible.”

“Time was always a hidden character in the script,” adds Carlos. “From the start, I wanted each scene to carry the weight of time, as if life itself was moving frame by frame. The environment became our silent storyteller. I worked with colour palettes, with the slow transformation of trees, with light that always came from behind, cutting the characters out and at the same time tying them to the landscape.”

Grappling with the amount of time that passed during the film versus the actual duration of the spot – just under two minutes – was something Carlos and the creative team had to think deeply about. “When you’re directing a story this short, but one that spans such a long period of time, you need to hold on to one powerful image.”

This image came in the silhouette of two friends sitting opposite each other across a chess board, “as if inside a bubble”, held in place as the seasons changed around them. “The world keeps moving – the light, the colours, the trees – but their little universe resists, untouched. That sense of intimacy, of connection standing still against time, was the vision I carried with me through the whole process.”

In the film, moving images and the audio take the place of dialogue, explains Carlos. “The music has to say what the characters cannot, to reveal the inner rhythm of their emotions. In animation, it’s what makes the illusion believable. The texture of paper, the silence between gestures, the atmosphere around them… every little detail was shaping the emotional rhythm of the story. All of it guides the audience’s heart. Because in the end, sound is not just what you hear, it’s what you feel.”

But whilst the campaign might be wordless, creative directors Julianna and Lev want it to spark dialogue. “Our hope is that the film not only resonates emotionally but also inspires action and conversations that matter.”

There’s a sense of hope that accompanies ‘Check, Mate’, stemming in part from a recent study that found how early detection of Alzheimer’s and other dementias can improve outcomes for those affected. For Jim and VoA, it represents a new age in messaging around the disease. “VoA wants to inform the general public that after decades of hopelessness, we have entered an era where treatment for the disease is available.

“This first step is small, but our pipeline of potential new drugs is extremely promising. We’ve entered an era of treatment and getting started as early as possible is important in maximising benefit. It all starts with a cognitive evaluation.”