• by Amy Corr , Staff Writer @MediaPostOTL, May 13, 2013

Nissan has developed self-healing paint, a technology that renders a car scratch-proof.

Does this spell the end of parking at the far end of the store so errant shopping carts don’t ding my car? Someday, just not today.

The technology isn’t cheap; it’s only available on very select models, targeting tech-savvy affluents. I’d also target those who have yet to master the art of parallel parking and backing out of spaces near large, colorful poles.

To promote this technology, TBWA\G1 Paris, DAN Paris and OMD Europe created an iPad ad that makes a universally hated sound: fingernails scratching a chalkboard. Having self-healing paint should be a reward, not likened to the punishing sound of nails on chalkboard. It's a grating way to promote the technology.

The iPad ad running in The Economist begins as a simple ad for the sporty Nissan 370z. Creative takes over the entire tablet, and when a user attempts to swipe the ad away with their fingers, the ad stays put. The innocent finger swipe sounds like metal scratching metal. Each finger swipe leaves an actual scratch mark on the 370z. The user is subjected to two swipes -- that make the hairs on your arms stand up -- until the scratches disappear. “Now with self-healing paint” closes the ad, seen here.

Maybe Nissan could create a self-healing health-care system next.