British Airways premiered its new onboard safety video on April 17. It stars airline employees and some famous faces, showing Britons going about their daily activities and showcasing what makes Britain unique and truly original.
The safety video plays on things synonymous with the UK, from discussing the weather to eating fish and chips by the sea. It celebrates the timeless quirks and the uniqueness of people that put the nation on the map.
On long-haul flights
The five-minute film will be shown on the airline’s long-haul aircraft from 1 May 2023. It showcases British Airways employees in a range of roles, from on the ground to in the air.
The video also features celebrities such as Ncuti Gatwa, Little Simz, Robert Peston, Kaya Scodelario, Steven Bartlett, Emma Raducanu, chef Tom Kerridge and Ozwald Boateng, the designer of the airline’s new uniforms.
One of the stars is British Airways engineer Carl Carpenter. He drives across an engineering hangar while asking customers to unplug their devices before his own vehicle comes to an abrupt stop. “My day-to-day role involves making sure our aircraft are safe for our customers, so to feature in the safety video itself is quite surreal. We had so much fun filming the video and I can’t wait to finally see it on board when I next go on holiday,” said Carpenter.
Cabin crew member Sima Patel-Pryke asks customers for their attention as the safety instructions may differ from other aircraft they’ve travelled on previously. In response, British rapper, Little Simz takes off her headphones and remarks ‘What?’
The British public
As well as shining a light on the airline’s employees, the video also features members of the Great British public. When cabin crew member Emily Mae Jackson reminds customers that life jackets should not be inflated inside the aircraft, viewers see the instruction playfully taken out of situ with a real-life farmer near Dover and two fishermen on Deal Beach in Kent all inflating their life jackets.
“We have all sat through safety demonstrations before, so we knew we needed to create something different that would capture attention and was totally in line with our British Original positioning. We wanted this to be a real celebration of originality and for us, it is our people who – together with where we’re from – make us unique. That’s why it was important for us to hero so many of our amazing colleagues doing what they do each and every day for our customers and for each other. We also wanted to inject some wit and showcase Britishness, and all the quirks that put us on the map by shining a light on real-life people – from fishermen and chip shop workers to friends hanging out, as well as some well-known faces who help put Britain on a stage. So, seats in the take-off position and we hope you really enjoy our new safety video,” said Calum Laming, British Airways’ Chief Customer Officer.
Fresh and engaging
“As a British Airways Brand Ambassador, it was a privilege to be a part of the new safety video and film alongside so many British Airways colleagues and household names from across the country. It’s fresh, engaging and I know customers will be in for a treat when the video is rolled out for the first time on board,” commented tennis player Emma Raducanu.
The airline is championing and showcasing British Originality across its customer experience, from its menus featuring the best of British cuisine to its dedicated British Original in-flight entertainment channel and is proud to show off the best of Britain.
Later this year, a second version of the safety video will be released, featuring the airline’s colleagues in its new uniform.
