“Innovative Campaign” by Ogilvy Gives Voice in Congress to Those with ALS

Many people battling amyotrophic laterals sclerosis—ALS, or Lou Gehrig’s disease, a degenerative neuromuscular disease—lose their ability to speak, reports Adweek, which added that “Steve Gleason, (pictured above,) diagnosed with ALS in 2011, shortly after he retired from an eight-year career with the NFL’s New Orleans Saints, made sure their voices are heard, particularly in Congress, thanks in part to an innovative campaign developed by Ogilvy.”

According to Adweek, “President Trump (has) signed into law a bipartisan budget package that includes the Steve Gleason Enduring Voices Act. That measure guarantees that Medicare will permanently pay for speech-generation technology to help ALS sufferers communicate, work and continue to make vital contributions to society.

“To nudge lawmakers to support the measure, and demonstrate the power of such communications devices, Gleason worked with Ogilvy on “Robocalls From Humans.” Through that initiative, the former safety, and others with ALS, used eye-tracking technology to phone legislators and make their case.

“As the project video below points out, many politicians use robocalls to reach voters. So, it seemed fitting for those living with ALS to make an appeal to Congress using the automated voices generated by the technology whose funding hung in the balance.”

You can read the full story and watch the video here.