"The Road is Calling"

6 July 2026

30s

Wrong turn.

DAVID, like many people, has lost a lot of sleep on account of the World Cup. When you're tired like that, the mind starts to play tricks on you. In a vulnerable state, you watch the Scottish government's latest road safety film and think, "This has got to be a hallucination, right?" Then it hits you—not only is it real, but viewers are meant to take it seriously.

There's a lot to unpack here for a 30" commercial. First, Scotland’s roads can talk now. Second, they say things like "My junctions wait to pounce" and "I know I fill your dreams, tossing and turning over my twists and turns", as if the script's driven into erotic thriller territory. Third, this is meant to chime with actual seasoned motorcyclists.

Are they meant to be flattered when the tarmac says, "Together, we shall be breathtaking"? Or bowled over when the road turns into a snake (both are, erm, slippery devils, you see)? It's a helmet-scratcher for the target audience, and a head-scratcher for everyone else.

Scotland

Government Departments