Name | Andreas Kreimaier |
Website |
The third place in 2024, went to Andreas Kreimaier for the special edition of the Late Night Talkshow Willkommen Österreich "Willkommen Alzheim".
Description
Dementia in its various forms will affect every second person worldwide by 2030. The lack of awareness of the disease continues to result in people being socially excluded and stigmatized, which leads to the isolation of those affected and delays or even prevents them from seeking timely diagnosis and treatment. „Welcome Alzheim" aims to promote destigmatization and increase social acceptance for those affected. „There is a life with forgetfulness.“
Adressing stigma
Willkommen Alzheim is a special edition of the Late Night Talkshow Willkommen Österreich, produced by Superfilm Film Production GmbH on behalf of ORF (Austrian national public broadcaster) since 2007, featuring hosts Christoph Grissemann and Dirk Stermann. Willkommen Österreich is the longest-running Late Night Talkshow in the German-speaking area and is well known beyond Austria's borders. The format of the entertainment show serves as a Trojan Horse to make the topic of dementia accessible to a broad audience in a humorous yet respectful manner, raising awareness of the disease in society and advancing destigmatization.
Target audience
The wide reach and prominent time slot of the entertainment show made it possible to raise awareness about dementia among a large number of people and provide a platform for those affected with all their problems. The goal was to contribute to positioning the topic within society and to promote a natural approach to dealing with it.
Stakeholder involvement
The special broadcast was developed in close collaboration with Austria's largest dementia self-help organisations (MAS Alzheimerhilfe, Achtsamer 8., Promenz, Caritas Austria) and experts from the Clinic for Memory Disorders and Dementia at AKH Vienna. The talk guests – Assoc. Prof. Priv. Doz. Dr med. univ. Elisabeth Stögmann (Head of the Clinic for Memory Disorders and Dementia at AKH Vienna), Arno Geiger (caregiver and writer), and Stefan Koroschetz (55-year-old Alzheimer’s patient and music journalist) – share experiences from various perspectives on dementia. The hosts visited support groups for caregivers and patients and engaged in intensive discussions with the participants.
Impact
Willkommen Alzheim was broadcast on 19 September 2023 at 11:00 PM and has been available online at www.willkommen-alzheim.com since then. The broadcast on ORF alone reached over 160,000 people, representing a market share of 10%. The alternative approach to addressing the topic received great approval and praise from all parts of the Austrian dementia community. The show successfully brought lightness to the serious topic and engaged a diverse audience.
Accompanying measures for the broadcast included social media promotion, a press release, and an online presence.