"Firsts"

2 September 2026

2 mins 45s

Dogged determination.

There are shades of Macmillan's 'Whatever It Takes' commercial to the new Guide Dogs ad. The former was an epic, emotional drama that never shied away from pain and uncertainty; the latter shares much of that same honesty and heft, as a cast of children and adults take those monumental first steps.

There are all sorts of starts in director Tom Green's film—false, loud, teary, celebratory, fresh… whatever the circumstances, the advertised charity is there in some shape or form. When a young girl unfolds her mobility cane for the first time, it's a wonderful moment; when a teenager summons the strength to walk to the school gates on her own, her anxious but proud father struggles to keep it together (Green allows the shot to breathe the way it deserves).

As 'In This Shirt' by The Irrepressibles gathers momentum and Maxine Peake's voiceover exudes steely warmth, the visuals become even more hopeful, ever more liberated, and keen to nail the theme of "unleashed" potential. It wouldn't be a Guide Dog commercial without dogs, of course, and what good girls and boys they are—the moment one meets its new owner is worth a donation by itself.

UK

Charities