British Airways-Saftey Video

BRITISH AIRWAYS - SAFETY VIDEO

Lots of airlines have jumped on the ‘safety video as a marketing tool’ bandwagon, ever since Air New Zealand pioneered the genre.

Ever since then, major airlines ranging from Delta to Turkish Airlines have produced videos with high production values, which seek to entertain as well as inform.

Even smaller carriers, for example Lebanon’s MEA have got into the safety video act.

As a result, it’s no surprise that the first reaction from the ‘One Mile At a Time’ blogger when receiving a press release about British Airways’ new video was “oh boy, this is going to be boring”, especially since BA has a more staid and traditional reputation than rival Virgin Atlantic.

In fact, as the blogger admitted when watching it, the video is actually fresh and funny.

Directed by comedian Chabuddy G, the video features a list of familiar faces from Television and film, including Gordon

Ramsay, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Ian McKellen and Gillian Anderson.

The format involves Chabuddy G holding “auditions” with the different stars for the safety video. For example, Gordon Ramsay runs through the section of storing your hand luggage, while reading lines originally meant for Joanna Lumley.

The video then ends with an appeal for passengers to leave spare change for British Airways’ ‘Flying Start’ charity. BA is certainly not the first airline to use celebrities in its video, Air New Zealand for example has used everyone through the years from the cast of Lord of the Rings to one last year featuring actors Rhys Darby and Anna Faris.

However, the format, where Chabuddy G interrupts each actor during his or her routine, works and keeps the viewer hooked. The link to the BA charity at the end, is also a nice touch and brings the airline’s CSR initiative to light.

KEY TAKE-AWAY

With the safety video bar being raised ever higher, it is difficult to produce something that is genuinely new and creative.

BA’s use of famous British celebrities certainly isn’t original, but the way the video has been produced and directed makes it genuinely watchable and funny. The stacks of press coverage the video has received in the UK and beyond shows that plenty of others agree.