Do you watch the safety videos when you fly?
Airlines get that you’re probably a bit jaded by flying and too busy settling in to take note of the safety warnings every flight, which is why they go to extraordinary lengths to get your attention.
So safety videos have come a long way since they were just a grainy, lame video version of what the steward was saying anyway.
Airlines have roped in popular characters (Air New Zealand loves a bit of hobbit time), memorable tunes and humour to keep passengers engaged and informed.
Here’s our rundown of some of the best.
Virgin America
You can always expect something a bit out of the box with Virgin, and this doesn’t disappoint. Snappy songs, robot dancing, freakishly flexible passengers and sexy nuns. What’s not to love?
Air New Zealand
Our Kiwi cousins are overachievers in the safety video section.
The video above has racked up an astonishing 24 million views. Relying heavily on Lord of the Rings imagery with a backdrop of New Zealand’s landscape, it’s a fantastic combination that sets a high bar for all that follow.
I can’t find a record of how much it cost, but I suppose they saved some money getting a second use out of all those movie costumes.
Lord of the Rings director/producer Peter Jackson makes a cameo and it was directed by Taika Waititi, which puts a lot of Kiwi talent in one place.
British Airways
British Airways gives our Kiwi friends a run for their money with the effort above.
A clueless director ‘Chabuddy’ guides some of the UK’s best actors including Sir Ian McKellen and Rowan Atkinson through a series of spoof auditions. For some reason, Gordon Ramsey is in the mix.
The sequel below is almost as good with an exasperated Michael Caine and cranky Joanna Lumley going through the motions.
Admirable amateurs
The perfect antidote to all those slick corporate offerings are the air attendants themselves.
I’ve long suspected air stewards are just as bored by the safety talk as we are, and these clips show a few creative ways to keep our attention.
New Zealand … again
Urgh, Air New Zealand again. I say it all the time, but if New Zealand could stop doing everything better than us, that would be great.
Manic, ’80s-era fitness guru Richard Simmons takes passengers through a high-energy routine, complete with bedazzled, neon leotards and funky aerobics moves.
It’s funny, but also kind of exhausting.
Comedians
Air hostesses have always been magnets for comedy, be it the signature outfits or sassy attitude. Not technically a safety video, but still hilarious is this offering from the UK sketch series Beehive broadcast back in 2008.
Simply ridiculous and wonderfully un-PC. Beef or Cow?
Do you pay attention to the safety demonstration? Would these videos make you more aware? Why not share your opinion in the comments section below?
Also read: How to breeze through airport queues
