It’s always welcoming when a new safety video appears. This time it is the turn of Austrian Airlines, who have worked with Spafax.
The new video will feature on Austrian’s recently introduced Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft ahead of the carrier’s first long-haul service, which starts on June 15 on routes to New York JFK from Vienna.
The production uses 3D animation techniques to reveal a miniature Austrian world hidden inside the aircraft’s cabin, while deftly weaving essential safety instructions into the narrative, making critical information both engaging and memorable for passengers of all ages.
The film begins with the camera zooming in on an overhead locker, which opens to reveal a tiny ground crew guiding passenger luggage into place.
Starring delightful miniature figures, the film features details that reflect both the airline and its home country, such as the Prater scene, where a suitcase opens to reveal a diorama with a Ferris wheel, fairground, trams, and tiny passersby taking pictures with their phones and simultaneously illustrating safety features.
Each scene features an element that reflects a unique cultural aspect of Austria – from a yodeler to coffeehouse pastries to Vienna landmarks – as moments from the Austrian Airlines passenger experience are also highlighted. The film seamlessly integrates the travel experience with safety while adding a warmhearted touch of Austrian culture and its landscapes.
In Quotes
David Kondo, Senior Director, Brand Experience at Austrian Airlines said:
“Our new safety video delivers critical safety information in an engaging and fun narrative that captures the essence of Austrian’s hospitality and character,”
“The benchmark for innovative safety videos is high, but I couldn’t be prouder of the team and our partner Spafax in creating something truly fresh and unique that transports our customers to Austria from the very start of their journey.”
Jonathan Gilbert, Creative Director at Spafax, commented on the collaboration:
“Working with Austrian Airlines on this project has been an engaging experience that pushed the boundaries of what is possible in inflight safety videos. We wanted to bring to life the unique and light-hearted style of the airline in a manner that celebrated Austria while communicating safety effectively through an entertaining, immersive format. We were inspired by model making, a mix of modern and retro styles, and combining real world and miniature themes.”
Onward Rollout
As noted, it will roll out initially on the 15th of June aboard a long-haul 787 flight. It will be made available on Austrian Airlines flights before being rolled out on 1st August on all the carrier’s long-haul flights, ensuring a consistent and enhanced passenger experience across various platforms within the airline’s inflight entertainment system.
It’s a cute video, with a 4-minute runtime (a lot shorter than some we’ve seen on long-haul flights). But it presents the information in an entertaining way that doesn’t distract from the message.
And compared to some of the live-action videos, it is very much to the point.
Images, Austrian Airlines, via YouTube, Spafax.
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Love it! It’s unique, and does a great job highlighting Austrian culture, which is important to the airline in general, as Austrian integrates so many aspects of Austrian culture into its inflight experience.
To us, the diorama with the Prater ferris wheel, fairground, trams and tiny passersby taking pictures with their phones is very much a ‘postcard from Vienna’.
And importantly the safety messaging is loud and clear.