Most advertising stories – the funny ones, the uplifting ones…the heart-wrenching ones…are fictional. They may be inspired by real events. But the stories in TBWA\Media Arts Lab Sydney’s campaign for Apple Watch are real.

The newest edition features Byron Bay resident, Rick Shearman. On July 13, 2024, the esperienced was rescued 1.6km off the coast of Byron Bay after using Emergency SOS on his Apple Watch. He had been pulled out to sea by a dangerous rip current. Unable to battle the exceptionally large waves to return to shore, Rick activated the Emergency SOS feature on his Apple Watch to call Triple Zero, which ultimately led to his helicopter rescue.

The new campaign has launched across broadcast, digital platforms, and social media.

Shearman agreed to appear in the film, hoping his story would inspire others to be prepared for similar emergencies. The film also features the audio recording of his emergency call made from his watch throughout the spot. Location tracking on Apple Watch proved crucial to the rescue, with emergency responders from the Westpac Lifesaver Rescue Helicopter Service confirming that without the technology the search could have ended very differently.

Previous films in the campaign told the real-life stories of Bruce Mildenhall and Lexie Northcott, who benefited from the Apple Watch Fall Detection and Heart Rate Notification features.

Credits
Agency: TBWA\Media Arts Lab, Sydney
Production Company: Scoundrel
Post-Production: ARC Edit & FIN Design + Effects
Sound: Massive Music Sydney
Music: Elliot Wheeler @ Turning Studios