United Airlines has released a new look safety video, which will start to be played on the carrier’s flights from May 25 and features employees wearing a new uniform, which has yet to be officially launched.
The video has been 10 months in the making, with development starting in June 2023 before filming started in October. That was the same time that United started working with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), which reviewed the storyboard and script before filming actually got underway.
Titled ‘Safety in Motion’, the new video follows a ball as it makes its way through the sequential reaction machine within an airplane mockup. United says that it hopes the concept will capture the attention of even the most frequent of flyers.
Having been under the spotlight for a slew of recent safety incidents, United is at pains to point out just how seriously it takes safety and Sasha Johnson, United’s Vice President of Corporate Safety, hopes this new video will help demonstrate this.
“Safety starts with being prepared. We have ongoing, rigorous safety training for our crews. And we also make sure our customers know what to do in the event of an emergency,” Johnson commented after the video was released on Thursday.
“We are proud that our new safety video empowers passengers by giving them information and clear instructions.”
There are 171 customized versions of the video, which will cover United’s eight aircraft types and 20 seating configurations in 18 different languages. 17 real-life employees, including pilots, flight attendants and ramp agents, feature in the video, along with 1,000 real dominos, and George Gershwin’s iconic ‘Rhapsody in Blue’ provides the soundtrack.
Matt’s take
The latest safety video from United has distanced itself from the destination-style safety videos that have proven incredibly popular amongst various airlines in recent years, although it’s still likely to polarize opinion within the aviation industry.
Many safety experts would like airlines to produce short, sharp safety videos filmed in real-life aircraft cabins that stick to the facts and dispense of gimmicks… like balls bouncing and rolling around an airplane mockup.
But United’s chief advertising officer, Maggie Schmerin disagrees, arguing that the “safest safety video is one that passengers actively watch”. And to get travelers to watch, you have to grab their attention.
“We worked across the airline to ensure our new safety video clearly and succinctly communicates critical information in a way passengers can’t help but watch – no matter their age, background or experience traveling,” Schmerin commented as she headed off any potential criticism of the new video.
At less than five minutes long, United’s latest video is, at least, mercifully a lot shorter than some of the recent safety videos we’ve seen. In any case, United says it worked with the FAA to get the video right until it was finally approved in March.
The video will start being loaded on flights on May 25, but not all aircraft will have the new video until later in the summer.
Yawn
That blue ball was getting ridiculous and actually found it distracting