In today’s technological world filled with devices that track our fitness level, our sleep habits, and even the location of our car keys, there’s a new one on the market purporting “It doesn’t time your run. It’s for when your time runs out.”
Based on an algorithm that measures your lifestyle habits, Quitbit is a device that can predict, down to the precise second, when you will die. As your time nears, it notifies you with a beep, so you can begin to get your affairs in order.
However, there is a catch. It isn’t real.
It’s part of a new marketing campaign by Mount Pleasant Group, a group of funeral centres and cemeteries in Toronto, to encourage people to begin thinking about their own death and planning for their final goodbye.
The marketing video does an excellent job in delivering an authentic presentation of a seemingly real device. And with increasing numbers of those aged 55 and above adapting to new technological norms, the subject matter could really appeal to the target market for preneed.
In a world where no one wants to talk about death, this video takes a different, refreshing approach to the conversation of planning one’s funeral and frames it around what is relevant for people today. Whether or not the campaign succeeds in garnering more of their target market to make pre-arrangements remains to be seen; however, we think it is a great approach to tackling the difficult issue of death and dying.
The video culminates in asking its viewers, “How comforting would it be to know that your loved ones will be taken care of and that you will be able to preserve your legacy?”
That’s the ultimate goal when talking about preplanning one’s funeral and one that we promote everyday. Hats off to Mount Pleasant Group for putting preplanning in the technological game with their new Quitbit device, even if it isn’t actually real.
UPDATE: Since the publishing of this post, one of our readers pointed out that such a device does actually exist. While Quitbit may not be available for purchase, Tikker is. It is a watch that ticks down to the moment at which it has calculated will be your last.
Based on lifestyle and medical questions, the device determines how much time the user has left and was created to help people cherish life and live every moment to the fullest.
According to the website, “Time doesn’t actually end; we simply run out of it. One day it will be time to die. But until then it’s time to live.”