Have you heard the news?
Air New Zealand is changing its name to ‘Air All Blacks’. Well, in its latest safety video anyway.
Which has predictably struck a chord with our rugby-crazy nation.
Air New Zealand has roped in Suits actor Rick Hoffman, an impressive line-up of All Blacks (past and present), former Wallabies captain George Gregan, New Zealand actor Cliff Curtis and former Black Ferns captain Fiao’o Fa’amausili.
But its success lies in more than just its celebrity cast. Air New Zealand has been creating quirky safety videos for a decade now and almost all of them have hit the spot.
It all started with ‘The Bare essentials of safety’, in 2009, in which staff wore nothing but a daring layer of bodypaint. Since then, we’ve been put through our flight safety paces by Richard Simmons, Betty White, Sir Peter Jackson and Rachel Hunter, to name a few.
With any marketing, finding the winning formula is the Holy Grail. And social media marketing is no different. When putting together a social media marketing strategy, there’s plenty we can learn from Air New Zealand.
Five things we can learn from the Air New Zealand safety videos
1. If it ain’t broke don’t fix it (but keep it fresh)
Imagine if Air New Zealand put out a bog standard safety video now. You’d be disappointed right? People have come to expect the unexpected from Air New Zealand. If you have a cult following, you don’t want to disappoint them by changing the rules. The challenge is to keep introducing new content that fits the ‘formula’.
2. Don’t be scared to try something new
Knowing what doesn’t work is as important as knowing what does. Air New Zealand’s last safety video, ‘It’s Kiwi Safety’ had another impressive celebrity line-up but fell flat, with critics saying it trivialised airline safety. Lesson learnt. Did Air New Zealand ditch the concept? No, they dusted themselves off and came back stronger than ever.
3. Own your mistakes
And be prepared to laugh at yourself. In the latest safety video Air New Zealand pokes fun at itself by referencing the rap video. Bringing the elephant into the room can be endearing and build authenticity. We’re all human after all.
4. Stay on trend
In the year of the Rugby World Cup, the All Blacks theme could be criticised for its predictability. But tapping into the current mindset is always going to be a crowd pleaser. Find out where people’s heads are at, and meet them there.
5. Have a ‘why’
Being creative for creativity’s sake can leave people scratching their heads. Having a ‘why’ keeps your marketing on brand.
“Changing our name to Air All Blacks is a fun demonstration of our support for the boys in black. Our people feel a great sense of pride flying the team around the world and both organisations consistently show the world what a huge impact a small nation can make on the world stage,” says Jodi Williams, the airline’s general manager of global brand and content marketing. And there’s your ‘why’ right there.
Need some help making your social media fly? We should talk.
