Buckle up to get down. There is something fresh in the air. Could this be the first ever airline safety video you actually watch?
SkyMall has some stiff competition with this new safety video from Virgin America that was released Tuesday Oct 29th on YouTube. This brilliant branding move has caused people to light up Twitter with such praise like: “Get me on a @VirginAmerica flight ASAP!” “I’ll be dancing in the aisles on my next @VirginAmerica flight.” And “All air travel should start like this.”
Why The Video Works
- Visual. Video is powerful. So powerful that by 2017 Internet video traffic is expected to make up 69% of all global consumer Internet traffic.
- Competition. Due to the video's awesome-ness and viral-ness, it will challenge every other airline to scrap their dull safety video. Hallelujah.
- Dual Purposing. Virgin killed 2 birds with 1 stone by creating a new safety video and leveraging it for marketing to the general public.
- Branding. This video will work wonders for Virgin’s Millennial recruiting efforts. See the below for why.
How The Video Connects With Millennials
1) Creative. Design and creativity are must have elements in today’s market. Rethinking "it’s always been done this way” procedures is crucial to get noticed and remain relevant in our ever evolving tech world. The above video is the first airline safety video entirely set to music. Virgin America also claims they were the first to deliver such a message in a cheeky manner with this 2007 safety video (click here to see the video). This creative approach suits the Virgin brand and connects with Millennials as they are super interested in unique and fresh experiences.
2) Social. Virgin America nailed it by releasing the video on YouTube and inserting the #VXsafetydance hashtag in the title of the video. They also created a super slick website where people can use Instagram video to submit dance auditions to be considered for future versions of the safety video. And then website visitors can judge the submitted contestants by giving a thumbs up or down. Virgin America is doing a superb job leveraging the power of the crowd and today’s social web. This approach resonates with Millennials as they desire to connect and contribute to the brands they use.
3) Fun. The energy and fun-factor in this video are sky-high, especially with lines like these...“For the .001% of you who have never operated a seatbelt before: Really!?” “If the cabin pressure's changin’ - you know we won’t be leavin’ you hangin’.” “If your vest doesn’t fill, honey no big deal.” With the high exposure of Google, Facebook and Zappos fun company approaches, it is becoming the rule rather than the exception to infuse fun externally to customers and internally to employees. Millennials are drawn to brands that don’t take themselves too serious but offer serious fun.
From the exit doors to the oxygen masks, no seat belt was left unbuckled. Delta and Southwest….it’s your move.
Question: What other “it’s always been done this way” procedures need a next generation overhaul?
