I really like Virgin America's (AKA "VX") Flight Safety video from 2013. Here's just a few reasons why:
1. It's disruptive
Flight safety videos are usually boring.
Like this Delta one.
Like this American one.
Like this Qantas one.
Don't get me wrong, those are all lovely, high-quality productions.
…but they just make you want to go to sleep.
2. It's a good teacher
Remember all the fine details from those boring lectures from school?
Nobody does.
The typical flight safety video is like every teacher you've ever hated — they don't teach you anything, and they don't even care about it. They just follow a preplanned curriculum year after year... go through the motions... until they retire.
The VX safety video, on the other hand, is like a great TED Talk:
- It engages the audience.
- It delivers all the vital information you need.
- It delivers said information in a way that is enjoyable.
- It leaves you feeling good.
3. It's authentic
VX's video has one immeasurable factor that other safety videos lack: authenticity.
The actors, the director, everyone is having a great time in the Virgin video. Look at the behind the scenes footage. These people have passion. They turned a video that they had to make into a video that they wanted to make. I love people like that.
final thoughts…
This video came over 5 years ago, so I'm kind of late to the party… but I wanted to write about it just because it's really fun and I enjoy it.
Also, my opinion doesn't matter. I don't have the audacity to say that I'm some kind of a marketing expert. I just have a feeling that this video is a great piece of marketing. It speaks to the Virgin brand, to the fact that it's a disruptive, fun, and human — and generally speaking, I have a feeling that branding is very important when it comes to marketing.
Unfortunately Virgin America is no longer around, and worse yet: I never got fly with them.
But not all is lost: I may get a chance to fly Virgin Galactic in the future. 😉
Thanks for reading my post, you clearly have great taste in literature. Feel free to reach out to me Snapchat, Twitter, Facebook, or whatever social media platform is popular today — I would love to hear what you think about this post or anything else.
- Check out Richard Branson's new autobiography, "Finding My Virginity". In it, he talks a lot about Virgin America. Plus, it's just an all-around great read.
- Check out Richard Branson's Blog, the man has a lot of smart things to say.
But no matter what you do: have a wonderful day, always be yourself, and don't forget to brush your teeth!
Jacob — out.
