A while ago, Air New Zealand launched their ‘Nothing to Hide’ campaign, a series of videos featuring actual AirNZ crew wearing nothing but body-paint and big smiles. The style is light and fun, and naturally anything too revealing is out of shot or obscured by a piece of luggage, armrest, inflatable life vest, etc. in a sort of Benny Hill style.
Of all the videos, it’s the safety demonstration that’s stuck in my mind. Most safety demonstrations, as carried out by the ‘live’ cabin crew, are surely a waste of time – how many people have you ever seen paying attention to one? Not only is the delivery robotic and unengaging, the content is too familiar to warrant our engagement (and, besides, it’s borderline uncool to pay too much attention!). That’s why the titillating AirNZ safety video is genius:
- Because the videos feature an all-nude cast, most people can’t help but look. Even when you’ve seen it a several times, you still look (just in case you missed something!). So at least some of that safety stuff must be going in.
- Switching to video must equate to more efficiency – not only do the crew not have to take positions, etc. but they can now continue on with their other pre-flight tasks. By my reckoning, this could save us 5mins of sitting in the plane before take off (or give them a 5min buffer, thereby decreasing risk of delays, etc.)
- The videos are well executed and fun to watch – they make AirNZ seem professional, caring, and cool, and they’re a nice way to start a flight.
- Because the videos are on screen, it’s more socially acceptable to watch and there’s no risk of making (uncool) eye contact with the demonstrator.
I’m not sure whether the above benefits were serendipitous or excellent experience design (probably a bit of both); either way the results are better for both AirNZ and their customers, and that’s got to be good.
5 Comments
Totally noticed that too. I also think that it has a lot of personality – they speak very colloquially so it has an irresistible charm. Clearly they’re having fun doing the shoot which also makes it genuinely fun to watch. Compare that to the corporate footage of stock model animatrons and a narration written by the legal dept – it’s physiologically unwatchable.
Absolutely – I can already feel a post brewing about the legal dept … :)
Once, while commuting to Hamiltron 2x a week (don’t ask), I made it my mission to stare down the demonstrator and make them laugh. I succeeded twice (in countless times). Ah, the good old days. :-)
These days I’d probably be restrained in handcuffs and given over to AvSec.
You were possibly the world’s first airline stare-rrorist then? ;)
I think it is well executed and I like the fact that you can watch the video (which leaves the cabin crew to get on with the rest of the pre-flight check).
However, it took four flights before the personality/novelty wore off and I just wished they kept it simple. I don’t have much of a sense of humour so the campness/silliness grates. Or maybe the Gin Wigmore song just gets a bit more annoying with each listen.
Would love to know what engagement it gets. But – geez – how do you test that scenario? A-B testing and crash landing planes would be expensive if you wanted to find out if the info really sunk in!
BTW, for reasons of karma I always watch safety videos/demonstrations :)