Photo: Press

Despite refusing to give permission to have his music used in advertising, electronic pioneer Aphex Twin has finally relented by allowing the Department of Transport to use ‘Windowlicker’ for a road safety campaign.

The THINK! campaign is aimed at young drivers and warns them of the dangers of using a mobile phone whilst being behind the wheel of a car. Aphex Twin – real name Richard James – has approved the use of a special remix of the 1999 hit single. The advert features hundreds of pink kittens that remain unseen by drivers too immersed in their mobiles to notice.

The advert was shot in Lambeth, South London, by We Are From LA, the team behind the video for Pharrell Williams’ planet-shagging smash hit, ‘Happy’ – a video fast approaching a staggering one billion views.

The advert has been made in response to the worrying statistic collated by the RAC that nearly a third of all young drivers aged between 17 and 24 have admitted to using their phone and social media while driving. Using a dramatic narrative, the advert highlights the fact that if a driver looks down for just 2.3 seconds when traveling at 30mph, they fail to see 100-foot of road.

Viewers are challenged to spot all the pink kittens used in the 100-foot street scene which is shot in real time. The amount of kittens is then revealed when the advert is played back in slow motion.

A spokesman for the campaign said: “The use of pink kittens cleverly nods to the frivolous social media messages people check on their phones on a daily basis and is woven together by a mesmerising slowed down version of ‘Windowlicker’.”