Most people are familiar with Apple Watches’ fitness tracking and notifications. Apple has invested a significant amount of ad dollars into promoting these two features. This year, it is highlighting an unfamiliar feature – saving lives – and it has kicked off the year with a discomforting 60-second commercial for its Apple Watch Series 7 with LTE that uses the audio from three real emergency calls to make its point.

That point is that the Apple Watch can make the difference between life and death. Jim, a farmer who has fallen 21 feet and broken his leg, underlines this with the comment, “I can’t get to my cellphone.” Like all good dramas, the commercial has a happy ending; all three callers are rescued. But listening to them getting there is a harrowing experience. There is no visual storytelling and imagination is a powerful emotional trigger. Plus fact is almost always stronger than fiction.

The new commercial has a very different tone from previous spots and the new life or death premise makes it an essential, not an accessory.