Video Hits

With over 13 million views in under two months since it launched, the Internet certainly loves the video – and the other safety demonstrations – which together have racked up a total of 45 millionviews for a country a tenth that size.

The numbers are even more impressive given that the airline made the first of them in 2009, just two years after the début of the iPhone and a year before the iPad was released.

An unexpected viral marketing campaign

The biggest celebrity in Air New Zealand’s first safety video, ‘The Bare Essentials Of Safety’, was then- CEO Rob Fyfe, who was succeeded by current boss Christopher Luxon in December 2012.

In late 2009, Air New Zealand was fighting a rearguard pricing battle against Jetstar, which had replaced Qantas’s Jetconnect operation on domestic New Zealand trunk routes that winter. Capitalising on a frequent passenger complaint about low-cost carriers – hidden charges that bump up fares to often exceed full-service carriers when comparing similar products – the airline quite literally painted itself as having nothing to hide: “Which is why the price you pay includes everything. Up front. ” Nude pilots, cabin crew, rampers, and even the CEO were sprayed with trompe-l’oeil body paint resembling uniforms and filmed doing their jobs, with the adverts showing the airline’snaked ambition to demonstrate its passenger focus and “great Kiwi service”, to the jaunty tune of Auckland musician Gin Wigmore’s Under My Skin.

“It’s such a fantastic thing to do, to involve your own employees in adverts, because it gives a level of authenticity,” Fyfe said at the time, laughing. “I would do it again, actually!” Five years later, head of global brand management Jodi Williams still agrees with the strategy of making safety videos that both serve an onboard purpose and catch international attention.

“It was the opportunity to take a message that had traditionally been very dry and repetitive, where no one was doing anything differently.

Safety messages were all the same, and had been for a number of years, so it presented an opportunity to challenge that industry norm and do it differently,” Williams tells Australian Aviation.

“The reasons why that first one really took hold and got such great coverage had two parts. One, well, you’ve got body-painted crew. Two, it just shook things up and presented what was a very dry piece of content in an entirely different way, yet still very mindful of the core safety messages. ” The tie-in safety video featured a pilot, three onboard pursers and a flight attendant – all bodypainted – demonstrating the standard set of announcements mandated by New Zealand’s Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) with a cheery, tongue-incheek (and not much anywhere else) message.

Airline regulators set the rules for what and when the safety messages are conveyed

The CAA works closely with Air New Zealand to ensure that the videos’ important information gets through to passengers.

“There is a list of mandatory safety messages that have to be told, and they also have to be sequentially in the right order. That’s something that we have to weave into every single story line in every video.

Now, there is flexibility, and we work with our own safety operations team and the CAA to inform how we tell some of those messages,” Williams says.

“The brace position, the oxygen mask or the life vests – for these, you need to show very clearly what it is and where it is. But then we will get some flexibility to have a bit of creativity. So for example, for the exit lighting, in the latest Hobbit video we use the orcs lined up. In other videos we have used different types of creative ways of showing it. So you get kind of an opportunity to include some sort of creativity, but also being mindful of what those very clear ‘no go’ areas are. ” The airline also includes safety professionals throughout in order to join up the creative team behind each safety video, the crew (or celebrities) who are presenting the information,and the CAA, which needs to be confident that the messages are being portrayed in a way that passengers can understand.

“Really, it’s just a great team: we have one of our own safety officers working right through the entire process, so they are involved through the script, signing off the storyboard, and then they actually attend the shoot,” Williams says. “They are there to make sure those scenes are shot and then signing them off. If they are happy that the oxygen mask looks right, and the seat belt is clear, plus how you buckle it in, they will in turn make the CAA comfortable as well. ” “Through working together we can mix things up and still make it feel fresh and different. ”

The winning combination has created ten videos since 2009

Following 2009’s ‘Nothing To Hide’, Air New Zealand has created two new videos a year, starting with its ‘Crazy About Rugby’ tie-in with the rugby World Cup and specially-painted sleek blackaircraft in August 2010, where a number of lines were presented by well-known All Blacks, who also featured extensively in advertising and in-terminal pull-up screens at lounges welcoming passengers into the airline’s space.

The disco inferno of leotard-clad ’80s exercise video supremo Richard Simmons bouncing around a cabin mockup with cabin crew in the ‘Fit to Fly’ video which came in March 2011, with a quickly-released ‘best of’ mashup of the first three videos appearing fairly quickly after in November 2011.

The Richard Simmons video was the first truly internationally-focused effort, and has now notched up over three million views. The problem, however, came from regular short-haul travellers – the bread and butter of domestic and trans-Tasman operations – who might have enjoyed the viral video humour, but were less impressed by a gurning loon telling them “you’re a giraffe!” at 6am on the first flight out of a morning.

Yet despite the annoyance factor, the video was a step forward in safety, illustrating in video form for the first time the process of switching an iPhone to Airplane Mode. Given the increasing airline and regulator focus on allowing personal electronic devices in the cabin, the move was remarkable.

In June 2012, a line-drawn video, ‘Safety Sketch’, narrated by Kiwi actor Melanie Lynskey (first known for her work in Peter Jackson’s 1994 film Heavenly Creatures, which also introduced the world to Kate Winslet) and Modern Family star Ed O’Neill, appeared.

The first Hobbit safety video, ‘An Unexpected Briefing’, arrived in October that year, and currently sits at over 12 million YouTube views. Linking in with Weta Workshop, Sir Peter Jackson’s production company for both The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit, the many cameos focused on doing service to the numerous fans of the Tolkien franchise. Additional tie-ins included a Hobbit-painted Boeing 777-300ER, which also performed a low-altitude flyover of the crowds inWellington for the movie’s premiere.

Yet despite the swords, shields and wizards, the videos featured more new developments in explaining (and showing) precisely what was required of passengers with personal electronic devices, namely that they “ensure that all cellular, wifi and bluetooth capability is turned off. ” February 2013 brought the amusingly titled ‘Bear Essentials of Safety’, featuring adventurer Bear Grylls and panoramic vistas of the South Island’s iconic Routeburn Track, plus the last appearance of Will Coxhead, one of the original ‘Bare Essentials of Safety’ bodypainted flight attendants who had also featured in every previous video, this time wearing a stuffed moa bird suit.

The video was again part of a wider partnership, this time with New Zealand’s Department of Conservation, the body responsible for the maintenance of New Zealand’s Great Walks series of “tramps” or hiking trails.

Air New Zealand’s Jodi Williams told Australian Aviation that the publicity resulting from the video achieved a ten percent increase in people walking the tracks, counting both domestic and international passengers.

Another United States-focused effort came with ‘Safety Old School Style’ in October 2013, an amusing video featuring senior citizens in a retirement home.

Veteran comedian Betty White, the nonagenarian star of TV’s The Golden Girls, fronted the video, telling passengers “if you want to know about survival, talk to us!” And it’s this mixture of “inbound viral” videos for the US and international market, plus videos that showcase New Zealand, that has defined the last few years of the safety video campaign. Yet the “inbound viral” aspects haven’t been without their problems.

Air New Zealand’s 2014 swimsuit video was a step too far for many passengers

While February 2014’s “Safety in Paradise” video has racked up nearly seven million YouTube views, its content – bikini-clad models from US monthly Sports Illustrated’s Swimsuit Edition, with a smaller contribution from Cook Islanders in Rarotonga – came in for criticism.

Many passengers saw the video as sexist, with only women models presented without their clothing in the video, which talked about the “rest, relaxation and romance” available on the Cook Islands.

Overt sexualisation of safety messages was also slated, with the familiar phrases (the result of CAA requirements) that had previously been spoken by flight attendants now explained by models in clothing that wouldn’t be permitted on the plane.

In the context of the 2013 statistics reflecting a 57 per cent year-onyear rise in disruptive incidents aboard aircraft, many considered the message counterproductive to a secure, safe and comfortable cabin.

With the rise in mobile, social and vocal passengers, several high-profile and much-retweeted examples of women flyers who heard men speaking out loud onboard about what exactly they wanted to do to each of the swimsuit models created something of a firestorm.

Air New Zealand’s Jodi Williams wouldn’t be drawn on whether the airline considered ‘Safety in Paradise’ a misstep, suggesting that swimwear was appropriate since the video was shot on a beach, also involved Cook Islander men and young children, and calling it at worst “a storm in a teacup”.

Yet analysing the video, it is almost entirely narrated by the swimsuit models, who also appear in cutaways in come-hither poses. Cook Islanders are only predominant during five seconds of the video, demonstrating the brace position in a canoe, a segment that is also narrated by the models. And the child in the video covers a few seconds of saying hello and goodbye in Cook Islands Māori.

While Williams explained that the airline “doesn’t go out with the intent to upset people, and we do go through a very thorough process when we do a video”, on balance the swimsuit version would seem to have been a mistake given the context in which it appeared, particularly given that the airline pulled it from aircraft in a high-profile decision after just a few months.

Bringing it back to The Hobbit provided new production opportunities

The four-day shoot of the most recent Hobbit safety video, ‘The Most Epic Safety Video Ever Made’, which followed ‘Safety in Paradise’, was “a great collaboration with Warner Brothers, the filmmakers, and screenwriter Sir Peter Jackson,” Williams says.

“We really had that great partnership that we had developed over the three years, to be able to fully leverage the movie and the different assets, to work with Weta Digital and feature the orcs and the elves. It really came into its own. ” The Taika Waititi-directed video shot in multiple locations, including Wellington Airport, the Hobbiton set in Matamata, iconic Queenstown panoramic spots, the famous AJ Hackett bungee bridge, and using the green screen CGI opportunities at Peter Jackson’s Stone Street Studios in Miramar that had actually filmed scenes from The Hobbit.

“The first Hobbit safety video was before the movie launch, and it was really all around the fans, because there wasn’t much in the way of movie property that we were able

There was an opportunity to tell a great story and really align it to to the movie. JODI WILLIAMS

to use. But when we got to the third movie, there was an opportunity to tell a great story and really align it to to the movie. ” Cameos from everyone from Kiwi actor Dean O’Gorman, playing the dwarf Fili in the three Hobbit films, to the diminutive 1. 68m Elijah Wood (who appears to be one of the few people who would comfortably fit into a 17in wide Air New Zealand long-haul Boeing 777-300ER or 787 seat) bring a certain magic to the film.

Two new videos a year and the reappearance of a third keep things fresh

Following the early withdrawal of the ‘Safety in Paradise’ video, Air New Zealand repeated the ‘Bear Essentials of Safety’ video with Bear Grylls, which the airline refers to as something passengers are willing to watch more frequently.

Overall, after 10 videos, the airline seems to have settled into a release, release, repeat rhythm, with videos since 2012 released in February and October, plus one winter repeat if the February video has worn out its welcome. The airline reckons that each video has a shelf life for about four-five months.

An example: Air New Zealand’s Jodi Williams explains that the airline switched the Richard Simmons video out early, “especially in the domestic market. It’s different with offshore or inbound because you have people travelling less frequently, so they only see it once or twice.

“Domestically we did change it out earlier because we were aware that it was high energy and it would wear out. It was the very first one where we really mixed things up and went outside the traditional aircraft with the seats exactly as they would be. It gleamed of high energy and music, so it was very different, but our intention is not to just do a version for YouTube. The intent is to provide a safety message on board, and the other part of it is the marketing opportunity. ” The crew and their uniquely Kiwi brand of service are a big part of that marketing opportunity, which theairline has previously referred to as being a pillar of its strategy for an end-of-the-line carrier from a small country to be noticed internationally. (Of course, CEO Christopher Luxon’s recent refutation of a description of Air New Zealand as an end-of-the-line carrier and its announcement of Buenos Aires flights in 2015 is a counterpoint to that message. ) “The people side of it is hugely important,” Williams says. “It’s a big part of our brand and who we are. We are a service industry, so our staff brings out the brand values, and that’s how they interact with our customers. We put a lot of emphasis on that to make sure that people get that relaxed Kiwi style service. And when it comes to any of our marketing campaigns, whether it’s safety videos, promoting the 787, whatever it might be, we always use our staff. It’s really important. ”

Air NZ takes pride in exhibiting the very best of New Zealand culture

“We love being able to showcase our country and our people, whether that’s Flight of the Conchords, who were fantastic, or Taika Waititi, who directed and played a cameo in the latest Hobbit safety video. He’s fantastic and very creative. Whether it’s through art or music, showcasting New Zealand talent is always an objective for us, and that’s where The Hobbit gave us so many opportunities. Showcasing Sir Peter Jackson and Sir Richard Taylor, as well as the landscapes and the country itself – it’s a great

It seems that airlines are hoping to cash in on the Kiwi trend.

opportunity to do that and then take that to the world,” Williams says.

“Air New Zealand continues to outdo themselves with every new safety video, and they’ll always make it fun,” Sir Richard Taylor, who runs the props side of Sir Peter Jackson’s Weta operation in Wellington, notes.

It will be interesting to see whether the focus on showcasing New Zealand continues or changes with the airline’s recent pivot away from the end-of-the-line carrier towards being a hub for the Pacific Rim. In mid-2013, the airline created a Mandarin language online-only video for the Chinese market and the Chinese version of Valentine’s Day, which had all the hallmarks of a standard safety demonstration but which was never shown on board.

So what might the future hold? Australian Aviation asked Williams which actors, celebrities or acts she would most like to work with. Naming US comedian Will Ferrell, Williams echoed the airline’s pattern of combining a Kiwi and inbound international focus.

“I can’t give you too much” about the next video, Williams laughs, “but there is an idea that we are refining at the moment. We are going to marketing launch around summer of next year [2015]. ” In terms of the future, “there are always ideas, and it’s just refining the base idea that has that combination of being entertaining, mixing it up, and doing things a little differently. And maybe some business ideas around destination, or whatever else we are looking at or wanting to promote. ” Given the Pacific Rim possibilities, it’s not inconceivable that future years might bring a bit of Latin flair to the safety videos.

Air New Zealand has inspired airlines worldwide to get creative

In the five years and 45 million viewers since the ‘Nothing To Hide’ video, Air New Zealand has been joined by a number of airlines trying to put their own spin on the humble safety video.

Whether it’s Qantas’s cricketers, Delta’s easter egg-laden oddball satire, Thomson’s cute video presented by small children, or Virgin America’s safety dance, it seems that airlines are hoping to cash in on the Kiwi trend.

“That’s a wrap, everyone. I hope you enjoyed it,” says Sir Peter Jackson to close out ‘The Most Epic Safety Video Ever Made’ – and, indeed, his two trilogies. Yet after 10 viral safety videos, Air New Zealand shows no sign of calling it quits.