How Air NewZealand’s Cheeky Message Drives Home Personality

How do you get attention, and keep that attention?
Then how do you get across a cheeky message, while at the same time revealing your personality?

Air New Zealand seems to do it well, even though you may not be paying attention to onboard safety instructions for the squillionth time.

What do you think?
What message did you get from this video?

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{ 17 comments… read them below or add one }

Gina June 26, 2009 at 1:31 pm

I got the message that my flight on Air New Zealand was going to be fun!

On other airlines, when the flight attendants start their spiel, the audience is bored and they are pretty bored too. You get the message that Air NZ wants you to pay attention (because its serious), but they don’t want it to be stuffy. I actually learned things I never heard before on other airlines because it kept my attention.

I also have to wonder if those are the same sort of uniforms Air NZ flight attendants wear. They are like bodysuits.

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Sean DSouza June 26, 2009 at 1:48 pm

They’re not body suits. That’s paint. :) They’re ‘technically’ naked with body paint on them. ;)

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Steven Washer June 26, 2009 at 6:45 pm

The “bodysuits” create a high curiosity factor that keeps you listening and wondering.

The varied angles , high, eye-level, and low, not only provide a way to obscure their bodies, they up the interest level as well.

The editing is quick cuts, as befits the music.

Finally, the music bed lays the whole foundation of the piece. “Cheeky” is the word alright. All these pieces work together to reveal personality.

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Gina June 26, 2009 at 9:25 pm

Well no wonder they look skin tight! I see it now.

Well it’s a brilliant done video. Just reinforces my positive image of New Zealand. I really need to visit.

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Mackay Rippey June 26, 2009 at 11:43 pm

Hah!

It’s amazing what can happen when creativity is not delegated to a committee.

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Bonnie Domeny June 27, 2009 at 1:47 am

Great! Southwest Airlines has a flight attendant that gets your attention too.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ivjybzdXVmI

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Steven Pam June 27, 2009 at 6:06 am

Cute.

But not the first safety video to use cheekiness or try something a little unusual in the name of getting the attention of people who either know it all or (mistakenly) think that the information in the video will not help them in the event of an in-flight emergency equals death.

The recent Delta video comes to mind: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MgpzUo_kbFY

…and I have a feeling Virgin have done some fun ones as well.

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Sean DSouza June 27, 2009 at 9:36 am

Yes, other airlines have been cheeky too. But I’ve been on their flights to the US, and some of the attendants are like this in real life–as in cheeky–not naked. :) It also happens to be BodyArt Week here in New Zealand and so this fits in with the theme.

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Tsahi Levent-Levi June 28, 2009 at 6:13 pm

I think the one from Virgin is also great – similar to this one in cheekiness, but done in a totally different way: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eyygn8HFTCo&feature=related
Tsahi

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Andrew July 1, 2009 at 3:11 pm

Brilliant. Another Reason to visit. I have always wanted to go to New Zealand.

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Mary July 5, 2009 at 4:41 am

The video is a great example showing how non traditional methods can work better. I watched the three videos, air New Zealand, Virgin American and Delta. I got bored in the other two, so for me the cheekiness of Air New Zealand works to keep my attention.

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Negative Nancy July 6, 2009 at 10:05 am

Looks like I’m going to be the only downer here.
I saw forced smiles, and heard forced cheerfulness. Blechh. That always switches me off.
The body art was the only saving grace. Trying to figure out what they were wearing was the only thing that kept me watching until the end.
Their cheeks (the upper, unpainted ones) must have been sore from grinning by the end of that day’s shoot.

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Sean DSouza July 6, 2009 at 11:19 am

Is that why you signed in as “Negative Nancy?” :)

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Negative Nancy July 6, 2009 at 12:54 pm

Yup, there are too many Positive Polly’s here (want a cracker?). But that’s not the reason I wrote it – I meant it.
Cheery-choo insincerity causes my attention to switch off.

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Jon P July 27, 2009 at 9:52 pm

Cheeky—yes. That’s a good way to describe it.

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Sean DSouza July 30, 2009 at 2:33 am

I didn’t know they were playing this on the flights as well. Well, they are. And I’ve never in my life seen so many people pay attention to the safety video. There’s not a soul that continues reading. Everyone’s eyes are glued to the screens when the video is playing on the aircraft.

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sergio June 6, 2010 at 10:21 am

Have your crew act a little nutty to get more seats filled with Californians on their way to England? Push on heavy cockney accent and the Down Under familiarity, so your passengers remember they’re not on their way to Cleveland or Atlanta. A generous dose of fake miles, a dash of childish behavior, a bit of English eccentricity, a couple of L.A. style manic attacks in between and you’re ready to to cruise half the planet. Sad but, the whole wide world has become so boring, from Auckland to California, all the way to London. Just having fun while crossing a couple “ponds’ across the Anglo-Sphere.

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