Nascar driver Ryan Blaney is coming off the track, taking off his helmet and sharing his family’s journey with Alzheimer’s disease in a new PSA campaign from The Ad Council, in partnership with the Alzheimer’s Association and Nascar. The PSAs encourage families to have a conversation with loved ones when they notice changes in cognition or behavior.
Blaney has a personal connection to Alzheimer’s as his grandfather, race car driver Lou Blaney, was diagnosed in 2001 and died in 2009. That prompted Blaney to found The Ryan Blaney Foundation in 2018 to support causes that personally impact the Blaney family.
“The opportunity to partner with the Alzheimer’s Association and Ad Council to participate in this campaign further extends the initiatives of the Ryan Blaney Family Foundation and conversations surrounding Alzheimer’s in our communities,” said Blaney in a statement. “As someone whose family has been personally affected by this disease, along with millions of others nationwide, we’re confident this campaign will inspire action to have the tough conversations as a path towards early detection.”
According to the 2023 Alzheimer’s Association Alzheimer’s Disease Facts and Figures report, there are currently more than six million Americans living with Alzheimer’s. One in three seniors dies from Alzheimer’s or another dementia, but not enough families talk about going to the doctor and finding out about detection and treatment options.
In addition to encouraging families to have conversations, the new campaign stresses the benefits of early detection that include access to treatment options, an opportunity to participate in clinical trials, and more time to plan for the future.
“This new Ad Council campaign seeks to help people understand the critical importance of early detection of Alzheimer’s and dementia as families nationwide are struggling to start these conversations with their loved ones,” said Michael Reich, chief marketing officer, Alzheimer’s Association. “Ryan Blaney and Nascar are welcomed into the homes of millions of people every race weekend. Their powerful voices can make a very real difference to inspire action and bring about change.”
The campaign’s website, alz.org/TimetoTalk, offers tools and resources to help families recognize early warning signs of Alzheimer’s, tips for facilitating conversations about cognition, benefits of early detection and diagnosis, a discussion guide for use with doctors and health providers, and other disease-related information.
The national communications campaign was created and produced by Clutch Studios. The PSA will run on television, radio and digital sites across the country, including donated media support from Nascar.