British Airways - Slow TV

British Airways - Slow TV

British Airways continues to make headlines with (pseudo) scientific-backed product and service innovations that double as PR. Following initiatives such as umamibased catering (Heston Blumenthal), ‘Hapiness Blankets’ (see the August edition of this report) and carrying out a ‘social experiment’ in the sky to test what toys kids prefer to play with inflight, BA last month launched a new IFE channel called ‘Slow TV’.

Inspired by a trend popular in Scandinavia for its relaxing, undemanding qualities, the programmes feature gentle, everyday events such as knitting, walking and bird feeding.

BA’s ‘slow range’ includes a seven-hour Norwegian train journey (video ) which shows tranquil images along a seven-hour Norwegian train journey from Oslo to Bergen. BA will also be showing relaxing footage of kittens and puppies on a channel called ‘Paws and Relax’ . Shows on the channel include animated cartoon ‘Simon’s Cat’, ‘America’s Cutest Dog’, the BBC’s ‘Secret Life of Cats’ and animals from the Battersea Dogs and Cats Home, which are available for adoption.

Says Richard D’Cruze, IFE manager at BA:

We discovered some scientific research that proves watching images of cute animals can actually lower your heart rate and reduces stress levels. The programming initiative is aimed to sooth and entertain children who can become disruptive from the strain of long distance travelling, but the programmes could be just as enjoyable for adults.