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Apple’s new sweat sensor tracks your BAC and alcohol tolerance — all from your wrist. By combining your height, weight, and sweat data, Apple Watch can estimate if you’re sober enough to drive. And on every booze-filled night, Apple will be by your side to give you a reality check on your BAC, updating you each time you leave from somewhere your BAC increased.

The Apple Watch 16 will come pre-installed with the “Dead End” app, and upon purchase an update will be sent to the linked account’s iPhone which will install the app on mobile. Dead End is your drunk persona’s sidekick, sticking by your side for every booze-filled night to ensure you end every night safely and not in a ditch.

Dead End app

When a person’s BAC reaches 0.08, the legal limit, they’ll receive a notification to remind them they can no longer drive along with instructions for how to get home safely. People will also receive a BAC update each time they move from a location their BAC increased.

A main feature of the app, Ride or Dies, houses the person’s emergency contact list.

If their preferred method home is contacting a DD, Apple Watch will send a message to the Ride or Die, using AI to write a note that captures their unique style and tone of voice.

In partnership with Uber, every time someone selects Uber as their means to get home safely they’ll enjoy a 10% discount. Plus, as a bigger incentive to pick Uber, once arriving at their destination, people will receive a 5% discount code for Uber Eats because nothing hits harder after a night out than a midnight snack.

To get the word out about Dead End, Apple will utilize OOH in the form of bar coasters. People can scan the QR on the back to receive a 10% Uber discount courtesy of Dead End.

Ok we’ve covered your physical safety, but what about your mental sanity? Along with Ride or Dies and Uber discounts, Dead End includes some additional fun features to ease your night out. Through the Pre-game Plan feature Apple AI will track your calendar app and text messages, to identify plans that likely involve drinking.

It’ll then prompt you to schedule a ride ahead of time, by assisting you in pre-booking an uber or finding a designated driver. Based on analyzing your previous behavior, it will personalize other options to you as well, such as “Schedule an apology.” With the Tap Out feature, people can pre-set their limits in money or alcohol. Prior to going out, they’ll able to designate their drink count or spending limit for the night, and when they reach that limit Dead End will lock their card. When the night is over, Hangover Help will guide people through some after-drinking care, such as reminding them to drink water. Even better, using AI, Dead End can share these tips through a friend’s voice, tone, and style.

Thanks to the “Don’t Text My Ex” feature, you can flag certain contacts you’d rather not contact when the drinks start flowing. At the start of the night, Apple will even check in to see if anyone else should be added to the ghost list, saving you from those dreaded morning-after texts.

Description

Fact: In the U.S. alone, nearly 11,000 people die every year from drunk-driving related incidents.

Insight: Drinking and driving is an epidemic.

Big Idea: Reward people for drinking, and not driving.

When people drink, they think they are invincible. And when they get behind the wheel, reality proves otherwise. But people aren’t going to stop drinking. So let’s reward them for drinking… and NOT driving. Introducing Dead End by Apple, making sure the only thing you crash is the party.

This student campaign titled 'Dead End' was published in United States in May, 2025. It was created for the brands: Apple Watch, Uber, and Uber Eats, by ad school: S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications. This Digital and OOH Outdoor media campaign is related to the Alcoholic Drinks, Automotive and Personal Transportation, and Electronics, Technology industries and contains 11 media assets. It was submitted 2 months ago.

Credits

School: S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications
Art Director: Tej Malhotra
Copywriter: Maggie Anderson
Instructor: Mel White

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