VIDEO | Aism, ‘PortrAits’ becomes a TV commercial on multiple sclerosis

The TV commercial, broadcast from 26 May on RAI channels, features Clara, a person with MS from Turin and Aism volunteer

ROME – From 26 May the PortrAIts campaign will be broadcast on Rai channels, marking the start of the National Week dedicated to information and awareness on multiple sclerosis. From outdoor exhibition to TV commercial: this is the evolution of PortrAIts, an awareness campaign that tells stories of people with MS, fragments of life and less visible aspects of multiple sclerosis (MS).

With this campaign, promoted by Aism under the High Patronage of the President of the Republic, the National MS Week of Aism 2024 begins.

The television commercial, broadcast from 26 May on RAI channels, has as its protagonist Clara, a person with MS from Turin and Aism volunteer. Its invisible symptom is chronic fatigue, one of the most common and disabling ones in multiple sclerosis. In a recent international study conducted by Proms, of which Aism is one of the leaders, on 5,000 people with MS in the world, in fact, over 80% of respondents reported fatigue as something that significantly impacts their quality of life. When speaking about it, they define it as: ‘feeling physically or cognitively tired, even as soon as you wake up, and it does not improve with rest’.

Clara herself explains: “It’s like an invisible force that prevents you from doing what you want, from telling your legs to take that step, from getting up from that chair”. This is why, in the commercial, Clara finds herself in the office, immobilized, as if invisible ropes were holding her to the chair, while her colleagues, with indifferent looks, do not understand what is happening to her; exactly what could happen in real life.

According to a Doxa survey, 80% of Italians know that MS is a neurological disease; however, while the visible symptoms are known to the population, the invisible ones are almost unknown, such as memory loss (24%), depression (34%), visual disturbances (36%) and difficulty concentrating (37%). . “PortrAIts has enormous communicative power. It has the ability to reveal hidden sides of this disease, forcing you to throw away your mask. Thanks to artificial intelligence, the invisible symptoms of MS have been revealed.

And they were put on display, literally. PortrAIts was created with the aim of filling the large knowledge gap, and therefore raising awareness, about the invisible symptoms of multiple sclerosis. Thanks to all the people with MS who got involved, participating with the experts in ‘instructing’ Artificial Intelligence, powerful images were generated, capable of moving attention and feelings”, explains Francesco Vacca, national president of Aism.< /p>

THE PORTRAITS CAMPAIGN

But the campaign doesn’t stop here. It will also live on the dedicated website www.portraitsm.it, where it will be possible to learn not only Clara’s story, but also those of all the protagonists who will share their life experience with the invisible symptoms of MS. These stories will delve into the most common disorders, making them easily understandable to the general public. They are the stories of the godmother of Aism, the actress Antonella Ferrari, of Ivan Cottini, a dancer who breaks down the barriers of MS with dance, and of many people with MS such as Alessandro, Andrea, Clara, Cristina, Francesco, Eleonora, Gianluca, Giuseppe, Ileana, Nevio, Pinda, Rachele and Roberto.

Each person brought a piece of their life, revealing the most intimate and fragile part of themselves, giving themselves generously to Artificial Intelligence to make it “visible” to everyone. To make it known. People’s stories can be listened to through podcasts published on the website www.portraitsm.it.
Each episode is introduced by Vic and Marisa from Radio Deejay.

The ‘PortrAIts’ exhibition also continues its journey through Italy, after the success achieved in Rome, Milan, Bergamo and Florence. With 10 panels that tell as many stories and symptoms, the exhibition raises public awareness of the hidden side of MS, highlighted with the help of artificial intelligence.

After the square in Genoa where ‘PortrAIts’ opened the information week on MS last May 23rd and where it will be visible until May 31st, there will be 4 other Italian cities, Naples, Varese, Vicenza and Turin , which, on the occasion of World Multiple Sclerosis Day on May 30, will host the exhibition. Furthermore, in agreement with Anci and Unpli, for the next 12 months it will arrive in other regions, on the occasion of local initiatives; will also be present within the G7-Inclusion and Disability, which will be held in Umbria on 14, 15 and 16 October 2024.