This sweet story is a game-changing platform to help bank voices of those with motor neuron disease

MND Association teams with Dell, Intel and Rolls-Royce to create revolutionary way people with motor neuron disease to bank their voices

Published On
Feb 18, 2022

Editor's Pick

Dell Technologies and Intel have launched an innovative platform that could change the lives of people living with ALS or motor neuron disease (MND), a neurodegenerative condition that causes the person to lose the ability to speak. Created with agency VMLY&R in partnership with the MND Association and Rolls-Royce, “I Will Always Be Me” is a unique book-reading experience that will log one’s voice so that they never lose it—a previously long and exhausting process.

"I Will Always Be Me" 1

“I Will Always Be Me” was written by Jill Twiss, author of the bestselling book “A Day in the Life of Marlon Bundo”—the children’s story about the romance between then-Vice President Mike Pence’s pet rabbit and another male rabbit. Her story for the campaign is written like a letter from the person diagnosed with MND to their loved ones, explaining that despite what may change about their appearance or abilities, they will always be the same person on the inside.

On the campaign’s website, users can create a free account (currently only available in the U.K.) to access the voice-logging technology. The website will record the voice of the user reading the book, which contains every sound necessary to create a unique digital voice. Then, in addition to having a keepsake audiobook of the person with MND reading “I Will Always Be Me,” the file can be converted into digital speech technology that can read typed messages aloud in the same voice as the person who may no longer be able to use theirs naturally. The book is a unique idea that streamlines the frustrating process of voice banking, which previously could take up to three months of imitating nonsense sounds and phrases.

“This is a lovely way to bank your voice," said Ursula, a person living with MND and "I Will Always Be Me" user, in a statement. "Do it now while you can record your voice with all your character, and your intonation, and the way you move through a sentence. Do it now.”

"I Will Always Be Me" 2

A short documentary for the campaign shows real people with MND embarking on the emotional process of logging their voices. It shows the fear and vulnerability of being diagnosed with MND and the prospect of losing the ability to speak as well as the hardship that other voice banking technologies can involve. “It’s really important to be heard,” says a person with MND in the documentary, “and not be forgotten about as the person who can’t speak.”

It also shows the joy this campaign brought to both the participants and their families. Tears are abundant as the persons with MND read “I Will Always Be Me” and share the experience with their loved ones. “That’s dead powerful, isn’t it,” says another person with MND as he reads the book. “Not just for the person listening, but for the person saying it.”

There are a few laughs, too, as the users type out messages and hear them digitally read back in their own voice rather than in generic, robotic diction. “Wow, that voice is sexy,” announces one man’s digital voice.

“Technology gets more powerful, more intuitive, and smarter every day, and I’m optimistic about what we’ll be able to do in the future—not only for individuals with MND but for the world at large,” said Liz Matthews, senior vice president of global brand at Dell Technologies, in a statement.

 

 

A behind-the-scenes documentary shows the process of conceiving the idea for “I Will Always Be Me” and creating the technology. Executives from Rolls-Royce, Dell, Intel and voice-banking platform SpeakUnique as well as a speech therapist and MND Association representative speak on the significance of using technology to support the lives of people with MND. The doc shows the challenge of revolutionizing the logging process and creating an accessible and valuable experience for the users.

“What I think is brilliant about this project is that you’re asking people to do something that’s very natural to them,” said Lama Nachman, Intel Fellow and director of Human & AI Systems Research Lab at Intel Corporation, in a statement. “True accessibility is about recognizing the human experience and building around it.”

Credits

Date
Feb 18, 2022
Client :
MND Association
Client :
Dell Technologies
Client :
Intel
Client :
Rolls-Royce
Agency :
VMLY&R
Chief Creative Officer :
Wayne Best
Executive Creative Director :
Niraj Zaveri
Executive Creative Director :
Justin Ebert
Creative Director :
Tal Shub
Creative Director :
Carlos Pabon
Executive Business Lead :
Rachel Krouse
Group Director Client Engagement :
Allie Ritter
Account Supervisor :
Ally Reis
Senior Account Manager :
Jenny Anderson
Associate Account Manager :
Saira Khan
Group Executive Producer :
Bobby Jacques
Senior Producer :
Dan Bradbury
Senior Producer :
Allison Raich
Senior Producer :
Louisa Gargiulo
Director of Production Experience Innovation :
Fernando Martinez
Senior Content Production Business Manager :
Maggie Diaz
Executive Music Producer :
Theresa Notartomaso
Art Buyer/Associate Producer :
Karli James
Managing Director of Strategy & Insights :
Jennifer Bonhomme
Strategy Director :
Jorik Houweling
Group Director Client Engagement :
Megan Mills
Group Director Client Engagement :
Ashley Pryor
Director Client Engagement :
Marissa Schulz
SVP of Global Brand :
Liz Matthews
Senior Director B2B Campaigns & Talent Attraction :
Rachael Henke
Strategic Initiatives Lead and Project Manager :
Valerie Daubert
Marketing Director Global Customer Engagements :
Peggi Kaley
Marketing Campaign Manager :
Sonia Sharma
Global Sponsorship Lead :
Amanda Metti
Social Impact Marketing :
Jackie Keating
Corporate Communications :
Talia Hill
Senior Vice President & GM, UK :
Dayne Turbitt
Head of Social Impact and Corporate Sponsorships, UK&I :
Ilana Lassman
VP/GM, Brand, Creative & Media :
John Coyne
Director of Marketing Strategy, Brand Storytelling & Partnerships :
Kari Lemiere-Mullan
Marketing Specialist :
Karen Frey
Brand Strategist, Partner Brand Campaigns & Corporate Sponsorships :
Kelly Lynch
UK Communications :
Sarah Allen
Director of Human & AI Systems Research Lab :
Lama Nachman
Director of Accessibility :
Darryl Adams
Global Sales, Dell Account :
Nicholas Day
Global Sales & Marketing, Dell Consumer/Small Business :
Jason Priest
Company :
Motor Neuron Disease Association
Director of Care Improvement :
Nick Goldup
Project Manager SLT :
Richard Cave
Company :
Rolls-Royce
Head of IT Innovation :
Stuart Moss
Director & Director of Photography :
Simon Frost
Director & Director of Photography :
Ben Hanson
Managing Director & Executive Producer :
Zoe Barlow
Production Manager :
Frances Ellis
Production Assistant :
Lili Bo Therin
Company :
SpeakUnique
Chief Executive Officer :
Alice Smith
Digital Developer :
Jeremy Jones
Chief Technology Officer & Speech Scientist :
Oliver Watts
Advisor :
Siddharthan Chandran
Company :
Jam3
Associate Executive Producer :
Florian Root
Executive Producer :
Helen Tucker-Lalloo
Group Director of Production :
Sean Crawford
Senior Design Strategist :
Tim Blokker
Executive Creative Director :
Dirk van Ginkle
Creative Director & Experience Designer :
Elisabetta Balconi
Interactive Designer :
Victoire Douy
Technical Director :
Ben Wager
Lead Frontend Developer :
Thomas Van der Meer
Music by :
Human
Audio Post by Post :
Human
EP :
James Dean Wells
Creative Lead & Chief Engineer :
Sloan Alexander
Post Producer :
Rob Suchecki
Patient Film Composer :
Adam del Ruedas del Rio
Patient Film Composer :
Jonathan Russell
Partner Film Composer :
John Chris Barnes
Partner Film Composer :
Sloan Alexander
Partner Film Composer :
Jonathan Hubbell
Partner Film Composer :
Adam del Ruedas del Rio
Partner Film Composer :
Jonathan Russell

Need a credit fix? Contact the Creativity Editors