Paris – A day at sea turns into a realistic nightmare in an interactive ad for Guy Cotten, a purveyor of aquatic sports apparel.
In an online drowning simulator, viewers take on the role of Julien who is out at sea with his friend Charles. An act of incompetence means that the boom knocks you overboard, and from there you are instructed to 'scroll up' to keep yourself afloat. As your arms tire from swimming (and in reality your fingers tire from scrolling on your mouse), you sink and Julien's life flashes before your eyes. You see his wife, the sea and then the bottom of the ocean because Julien has drowned.
The message at the end, 'At sea, you tire faster than you think. Whenever you go out to sea, wear your life jacket', is the perfect prompt to lead you to Guy Cotten's website, where you can purchase life jackets. This is a prime example of Scare Marketing whereby a brand uses fear to drive consumers to them for comfort, and in this case, for safety.