Serviceplan « gently » fades out Roberta Flack’s voice on « Killing Me Softly » for ALS Liga - Belgian ALS Association

In Belgium, nearly 1,000 people live daily with ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis), a currently incurable disease that causes over 200 deaths each year in the country. From June 16 to 20, ahead of World ALS Day on June 21, the Belgian association ALS Liga – Ligue SLA aims to raise awareness about the disease through a famous song: “Killing Me Softly.”

A song that painfully mirrors ALS

Understanding the reality of ALS is crucial to boosting support for research. To simply illustrate the effects of this disease, the agency Serviceplan, with the exceptional involvement of Raygun and AKA De Mensen, placed singer Roberta Flack and her most famous song at the heart of the campaign.

Long before the Fugees’ 1996 cover, Roberta Flack was the original artist to sing “Killing Me Softly,” a worldwide hit that topped the Billboard Hot 100 and won Song of the Year at the 1974 Grammy Awards. The song fittingly describes ALS: a degenerative disease that “gently” paralyzes motor muscles, “gently” silences the voice, and “gently” paralyzes life itself, usually leading to death within 33 months of diagnosis. Ironically, many years later, Roberta Flack herself would suffer from ALS.

A final duet with Roberta Flack

The campaign includes a TV commercial, a radio spot, and social media activations. Broadcast with the support of the Flemish channel VRT, the spot shows Roberta Flackperforming “Killing Me Softly” in concert during the 1970s. As her voice “gently” fades away, the concert images are projected onto a rather special wheelchair.

The campaign also extends online, notably on TikTok, the most musical social network. TikTokers are invited to “give” their voices by creating duets with Roberta Flack from the association’s account (@ALS.belgium). The video features the concert with Roberta’s voice slowly fading out. The more duets and shares TikTokers make, the more “Killing Me Softly” raises public awareness about the true nature of the disease, thereby boosting support for research. The social campaign is further supported by several influencers and artists, including Marimbros, Giana De Kat, Sean Dhondt, OSKI, Len Neefs, Fabiow, Kürt Rogiers, Lizz Music, and Lotte Heuten.

The campaign was blessed by Roberta Flack and her family before her passing in February 2025. The film also pays tribute to Danny Reviers, former president of ALS Liga – Ligue SLA, who himself died from ALS in December 2024 at the age of 64. His specialized wheelchair was used during the shooting of the film produced by AKA De Mensen.

Find the campaign at:

TV: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g6xWjP-q-00&t=1s

TikTok: https://vm.tiktok.com/ZGd5wvcde/

Assets :

- TVC/OLV

- Radio

- TikTok

Credits

• Client: ALS Liga - Ligue SLA

• Contact: Evy Reviers, Sander Vanbrussel

• Agency: Serviceplan

• CD: Philippe Fass, Myles Lord

• Creatives: Marc Thomasset, Nathalie Strybos

• Copywriter: Jan Denys

• Account Team: Lore Meert, Galia Burech, Sylvie De Couvreur, Kristien Bruyninckx

• Motion Designers: Michiel Jehoul, Justine Depape, Bert Landeloos

• Film Production company: AKA De Mensen• Videographer: Cedric Warlop

• Executive Producer: Eline Rousseau

• Producer: Astrid Janssen

• DOP & Editor: Cedric Walrop

• Redacteurs: Bram Vandendriessche, Kieran Van Berckelaer

• Audio Production Company: Raygun

• Music Sync: Raygun

• Producer: Thaïs Van Burm, Lien Ongena

• Sound: Jeremy Vettorel & Brecht Vander Plaetse

• Audio Creative Director: Peter Baert, Toon Jansegers

• Artist: Roberta Flack