What do you get when you cross a children’s PSA with an outbreak of a flesh eating virus? The a viral video for The Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials!
That’s right. You heard us. The newest promotional ad to come from the Scorch Trials camp consists of a cartoon character who is taught what to do if he starts to see warning signs of the “Flare Virus.”
For those unaware, within the Maze Runner universe the flare virus is the disease that has ravaged the earth — essentially a zombie like plague that has no hope of a cure. Thomas and his cohorts will be encountering those who have contracted the virus — called Cranks — for the first time in The Scorch Trials.
The video may appear to be cute and cheeky at first glance, but it quickly descends into something much more menacing the further along they begin to explain symptoms. You can check it out for yourself below:
This is actually the second viral video Fox has released in anticipation of the Scorch Trials film. The previous video was designed to promote WCKD — the fictional government overlords who police the earth.
Related: New Scorch Trials propaganda ad asks us to trust in WCKD
These propaganda pieces serve dual purposes. Not only do they creatively flesh out the fictional world of the maze, but they also get fans really excited to see Thomas and company back in theaters.