Apple Watch Spins Harrowing Tale of a Rescue at Sea

Based on a true story and starring the actual survivor

When you find yourself pulled 1.6 kilometers out to sea by a punishing rip-tide, gasping for breath and losing energy fast, salvation may be as close as that Apple Watch on your wrist.

Renowned for its compelling product demos, the tech titan and TBWA\Media Arts Lab, Sydney, retell the story of Aussie Rick Shearman, who’s call for help via Apple Watch led to his dramatic helicopter rescue.

Rick appears in the film. And actual audio from his experience punctuates a powerful showcase for the product’s Emergency SOS feature.

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The angry sea and Rick’s bobbing head combined with the recording should hit a nerve. Though we didn’t need to see the watch in so many frames, the ad—part of a larger life-saving series—does a fine job portraying Apple tech as a vital resource in an oft-cruel world.