‘Free Killer Tan’ YouTube Video Goes Viral: Tanning Bed Turns Into A Coffin In New Popular PSA

The new video, called “Free Killer Tan,” is certainly one of those “wow” PSAs that seriously get people thinking about the dangers of tanning beds and skin cancer in a new way. In the “Free Killer Tan” video, some people on the street respond to the offer to get a — you guessed it — “Free Killer Tan” on a cold November day in New York — and it starts out seemingly normal, with the tanning salon set up like other professional tanning places. The folks are offered a towel, goggles, and are asked to take a quick photo prior to entering into a room where the tanning bed resides. Most of them stop dead in their tracks and let out a few expletives when they see that the tanning bed is draped to look like a coffin and the tanning room has been set up to look like their own funerals, replete with a shocking photo of themselves atop the flower-draped tanning bed. Mourners and creepy organ music add to the effectiveness of the “Free Killer Tan” video, and it’s no wonder that “Free Killer Tan,” which was uploaded to YouTube on February 2, has enjoyed nearly 400,000 views thus far.

“Free Killer Tan” warns tanning bed users that only a single indoor tanning session can raise their risk of cancerous melanoma by 20 percent. Mollie’s Fund is the name of the charity that sponsors “Free Killer Tan,” and was born out of a tragedy. “Free Killer Tan” is the result of the death of 20-year-old Mollie Biggane, a college student who died of melanoma. Therefore, the viral spot is hoping that people who are fans of killer tans will think twice about visiting a tanning bed.

Mollie’s mother, Maggie Biggane, hoped that the “Free Killer Tan” ad would impact the number of tanning salon visits, which tends to go up in the winter, when it’s really cold outside.

“People knew the risks and yet they continue to go to tanning salons to the tune of 1 million people per day. We knew we really needed to get under their skin with a shocking in-your-face concept.”

Indoor tanning is to blame for some of the deadliest types of skin cancers, reports the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, stating that nearly 10,000 people died from melanoma in the United States in 2014.

As reported by the Inquisitr, even young African-American celebrities like Raven-Symoné have admitted to tanning her skin to look darker.

[Image via “Free Killer Tan” YouTube video]