This strange commercial is actually a hugely important reminder to visit your older relatives
October is the month to embrace all things spooky, and you’ll think a little differently about why you should visit your grandparents after you watch this sci-fi inspired commerical.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kMXKr3-nQds?feature=oembed
As reported by the Huffington Post, the strange ad was created by the volunteer organization, Society of Saint-Vincent-de-Paul. In the clip, we are introduced to an elderly widow, Pauline, who is slow-dancing with a huge, creepy white robot. As described by Huffington Post, “The robot, Ben, an acronym for ‘biologically engineered nursing,’ seems to take care of Pauline’s basic needs — preparing meals, giving medications and providing a wake-up call.”
But the commercial ends with Pauline sadly waking up alone in an empty bed, driving home the point that technology can't provide everything we need to be happy.
The unsettling ad helps us imagine the future and what it could be like to have a robotic caregiver. What starts out as seemingly very innocuous turns out to be creepy and terrifyingly real for many viewers — especially those with grandparents or older relatives in the caregiver system.
The ad ends with a message reminding us why it is so important to stay in touch with our older family:
"We think only human beings can help in fighting loneliness."
The scariest things often come from what could be the most real for viewers. And this ad proves that the robotic caregiver could be one of the most terrifying things from the future we weren’t expecting — so don’t leave your family behind!