"Control"

11 September 2024

40s

Another chance.

DAVID spammed the rewind button like nobody's business in 'Forza Horizon 5'. It let him retry bends and corners until he got the speed just right—a mechanic that would make life on the road so much easier in real life. The driver in this Scottish Government spot, however, has no rewind button; just a few seconds to plead for his life.

He loses control on a bend that’s never given him any trouble before (typical, eh?). Time slows as the car spins toward the inevitable, but the protagonist still reckons he can talk his way out of trouble. "I just need one more chance, I won't do it again!" he says, but it's too late for that. One of his last words is "please"—an appeal met head-on by another car.

It's a horrible way to go, and director Chris Fowles nails the sense of powerlessness that neither words nor actions can remedy. As the nights draw in and roads become harder to read, the government urge drivers not to be complacent. After all, they only get one shot at this life.

Scotland

Government Departments