Yes, we know how a seatbelt works. Yes, we’ve stowed our luggage.
Assuming you’re like every other airborne passenger from across the ages, you’ll likely agree that the most boring part of flying is the age-old safety demonstration.
But what if that information was delivered in an entertaining way – say by an afro-toting child rapper or a chorus of robot-dancing, pop-singing lookers – that actually got you to pay attention… even sing along?
That’s exactly what a major American flight carrier is attempting after some bright spark at Virgin America hit upon the idea of combining those dull but necessary safety instructions with popular music for a pre-flight clip that’s got all the production values of a blockbuster music video.
Composed with words and lyrics by former American Idol contestant Todrick Hall (wait… hear us out), the five-minute-ish mini-music extravaganza features a young girl rapping about the emergency oxygen masks, a verse about life vests from pop-locking, auto-tuned singers, and diva stewardesses extolling the virtues of stowing your luggage securely and acknowledging the exits. The likely highlight however comes from the deep-throated rhymes spat by a young boy in a two-piece suit.
All alongside subtitled lyrics that take some cheeky digs at the safety procedures (“For the .001% of you who have never operated a seat belt before -really!?” ) as it whips through a number of popular styles, from cheesy chart-bothering pop, to dance-inflected rap, and even a little doo-wop soul.
Virgin officials have confirmed that the new safety music video, using the natty @-tag title of #VXsafetydance to further lure in the youth market, will be shown across its fleet by mid-November, as Sydney Morning Herald reports, and is designed to reinvigorate the dull but crucial life-saving procedures while getting the attention of disinterested and distracted passengers.
“How many times have you been on a plane where nobody is watching the safety demonstration?” quizzes Virgin America’s chief operating officer Steve Forte. “People are sitting there reading the newspaper. When you look at this video, you’ll see how it grabs people’s attention.”
The video was directed by filmmaker Jon Chu and features several dancers and singers featured on So You Think You Can Dance, including Todrcik Hall’s compadre ‘Madd Chadd’, and has been giving the full blessing of The Federal Aviation Administration, who offered consultation through production to ensure the results met the safety briefing requirements needed on every commercial flight. “We don’t care how you deliver it, as long as it’s imparted to passengers.”
“We don’t care how you deliver it, as long as it’s imparted to passengers,” added FAA spokeswoman Alison Duquette, while Virgin America’s chief marketing officer Luanne Calvert adds: “the main reason we make the video engaging and entertaining is for safety purposes.”
Airlines have done a lot to promote music lately, with Australian flight carriers loosening carry-on policies for instruments and introducing music streaming services to their passengers.
The spheres of music and commercial airlines have overlapped in less favourable ways lately too though. Just last week, Sony launched a lawsuit against United Airlines claiming they had stolen music from its catalogue of artists, including Bruce Springsteen and Michael Jackson, duplicating recordings for use on their in-flight systems.
In related news, last August, ARIA-winning singer-songwriter Washington sued Qantas for misusing her music and image to promote the airline, claiming they’d misrepresented her by using a performance of her singing ‘I Still Call Australia Home’ in their advertising.
The airline then felt the curt tongue of another celebrated female musician, when an open letter from Missy Higgins ranting about Qantas’ lack of menu options for vegetarians went viral. After the candid post caught the attention of media, the ‘Scar’ singer explained it was intended to be satirical: ”Oh for God’s sake, I was having a laugh people! Not a rant! Grow a sense of humour!”
In more positive news, both Qantas and Virgin Airlines are upgrading their fleets to include on-board digital music streaming services as part of their inflight entertainment, while over in the UK, Virgin’s Richard Branson has gone one better with the introduction of live gigs on domestic flights. Additionally, Jetstar recently upgraded their carry-on baggage policies to accommodate the needs of travelling musicians,
