The In-Flight Safety Video Edition
On theatrics, Emirates, and pendulum swings.
Colin here. For a while, there was an arms race of in-flight safety videos. All at once, airlines were moving from the just-the-facts approach of delivering information and instead trying to get clever and high-concept. Of course, they also threw boatloads of cash to up the ante.
Virgin America kicked off the trend in 2007.
Air New Zealand really leaned into it, producing nearly 20 safety videos since 2009, generally playing into Kiwi comedy but crescendoing into “the most epic safety video ever made.”
Other airlines have also used the medium as a way to explore cinematography, retro themes, and get celebrities associated with their brand.
I realized we’d peaked, though, when I saw Qatar Airways' terrible in-flight video in the run-up to the World Cup. I am a fan of the airline and fly it often, but this was so cringeworthy, way too loud, and excessively long. You couldn’t turn it down, and a megaphone and a screaming coach were involved. Cringe to the max.
Why is this interesting?
Thankfully, the highfalutin concepts are appearing to taper off. For one, they might be funny the first time you see them. But if you fly the offending airline regularly, the novelty wears off quickly (especially in the case of the aforementioned Qatar) and the video just as quickly becomes grating. I’ve also always wondered if some of the underlying basic concepts of safety get lost in the sauce when the video is so juiced-up with other distractions that a passenger might not get the actual intended message.
The pendulum, I believe, has swung back.
It was refreshing when Emirates just came out with their new concept: a no-nonsense safety video that, in their words, does not have “dances breaking into song, characters for movies, or celebrities trying to be funny.” The video is crisp, clear, and instructive.
It’s also quite smart, as the airline really subtly calls out a lot of their product benefits in a nice way, saying things like “we’ll make this short and snappy so you can get back to our award-winning entertainment.” It is a very savvy reading of the attention tea leaves, and knowing exactly when to zag.
The comments tend to agree:
Emirates got it right. This is THE safety video, simple and comprehensive which it should be. Not like other airlines who would literally make long 6-minute safety videos which are distracting and more of a promotion than emphasizing safety.
Exactly what safety video should be like. Easy to understand & visualise what the feature actually looks like in real life. Can you imagine one of those fancy dancing video / culture showcasing promotional safety video style for first time fliers? They must be like. Wait what? ….
Emirates is an excellent brand in many respects and generally gets a lot of things right, and this, among countless other examples, says they have both a strong read of culture but also respect their customer’s time. (CJN)
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Thanks for reading,
Noah (NRB) & Colin (CJN)
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Why is this interesting? is a daily email from Noah Brier & Colin Nagy (and friends!) with editing help from Louis Cheslaw about interesting things. If you’ve enjoyed this edition, please consider forwarding it to a friend. If you’re reading it for the first time, consider subscribing.