HSBC's new U.K. ad is a spot all about the perils of "borders"—and it's timely, coming just as the effects of Brexit are hitting, with a shortage of truck drivers leading to a fuel crisis amid panic buying. 

The new spot, from Wunderman Thompson, stars actor and comedian Richard Ayoade, who appeared in previous work for the bank with the theme "We are not an island" at the height of the Brexit negotiations in 2018.

In it, he explains how borders "can be useful..but not always," demonstrating divisions such as race, (as he marks a white line between spectators on a soccer pitch), and gender (showing how the glass ceiling is a 'classic border') before moving on to politics. A family shouting at each other about the latter hints at both Brexit and the culture wars, while another scene, in which he marks a white line in front of truck drivers at a British port with a knowing nod, seems particularly timely. 

As you might expect from a global bank, the political overtones are implicit rather than explicit. But the final scene, shot on the south coast of Britain, seems to hammer home the point, even if HSBC's Chief Marketing Officer Becky Moffat states that the work is about "metaphorical" borders.

"Our purpose is to open a world of opportunity for our customers, and that means helping people understand and overcome some of the barriers that exist today—most of which are invisible, or we don’t see unless they affect us personally," she said in a statement. “We believe we have a role to play in removing these barriers; from helping people without a fixed home address open a bank account to funding scholarships for the next generation of Black students at Cambridge University, we’re determined to play our part in creating a society where there is equal opportunity for all.”

The spot, which was directed by James Rouse of Outsider, launched first on social media, and is now running on TV and video-on-demand.