Is this Japanese advert the scariest ever?

A Japanese tyre company has come up with a novel way of getting viewers to stand up and pay attention to their adverts - by making them jump out of their skins.

If terrifying your target audience was proven to also make them buy your product, the marketing team behind this offering from Autoway Tires would deserve a great deal of credit.

As it is, many who watch may end up so scared by what they have seen that they can't even concentrate on the tag line and product details at the end.

The advert has been designed to show how the company's tyres can perform in extreme dangerous or unpredictable conditions.

It begins with a warning message which reads: "Not for the faint of heart.

"Please refrain from watching the content if any of the following applies to you: - Have any mental or physical health concern and may have to see a doctor regularly.

"We shall not be liable for any injuries, illness, and damages claimed to be caused by watching the contents."

After the message, the advert shows a view from the windscreen of a car as drives along a road through falling snow.

A little while later the shadowy figure of a young girl appears up ahead in the middle of the road.

For what happens next, watch the video above.

The advert has received largely rave reviews on Twitter, with one user saying: "The most terrifying ad you will ever watch! Turn up the volume."

Loanna Deverdie (?@Loanna8717m) tweeted: "Actually jumped out of my skin!"

"Basically, if you scare easily then don't watch this," wrote Dez Bruce ?(@dezbruce1h).

User HANBEN ?(@hbenassi2m) said: "Told my mum I felt sick and she showed me this advert to try and make me feel better. #cruel."

- UK Independent