Betty White adds laughs to new Air New Zealand safety video
What won't Air New Zealand do with its safety videos?
The flagship carrier has already employed hobbits and All Blacks rugby players to instruct passengers of safety protocol. Its last safety vid wasn’t even filmed on a plane, but in the wild with Bear Grylls.
This time, they've taken the production outside the country with a video starring America’s beloved nonagenarian comedian Betty White and Gavin "Captain Stubing" MacLeod hamming it up in the fictional Second Wind Retirement Resort.
It's called, Safety Old School Style.
“Air New Zealand has a global reputation for creating unique in-flight safety videos,” says White. “When the opportunity came up to be involved in this project, I couldn’t say no.
“We had a lot of fun on set and I think we’ve shown that it doesn’t matter what age you are, it’s important to live life to the full.”
Apart from two flight attendants, White is joined by MacLeod of “The Love Boat” fame and Hanna-Barbera voice actor Jimmy Weldon.
The video kicks off with White, onetime “Mary Tyler Moore Show" co-star, on the butt end of a humorous jab from MacLeod.
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“Gavin MacLeod, what's in the box?” asks White.
“This is a priceless antique,” replies MacLeod. “Your sense of humor.”
Aaaaaaand, rim shot!
Perhaps the video's funniest -- and certainly most irreverent moment -- features groups of oldsters assuming the crash position in golf carts and motorized Rascal scooters.
“As a small airline at the bottom of the world,” as Air New Zealand head of global brand development Jodi Williams describes her company, the airline strives to drive brand awareness through creative means.
In the process, the airline has earned a reputation for producing the best safety videos in the industry.
“In Betty we found the perfect partner -- she is renowned for being a little bit cheeky and with a career spanning 74 years, who better to learn survival tips from than the award-winning show business veteran?” asks Williams.
As always, Air New Zealand’s safety video comes with a challenge to passengers.
Taking a cue from White, passengers are asked to share ways in which they live life to the fullest by posting on the airline's official webpage. Respondents have a chance to win tickets to Palm Springs, California, or Queenstown, New Zealand, as well as seven-days of accommodation.
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You can see previous Air New Zealand safety videos at the links below:
Fit to Fly with Richard Simmons
