Air New Zealand Rebrands As “Air All Blacks” For New Safety Video

Air New Zealand Rebrands As “Air All Blacks” For New Safety Video

36

Air New Zealand is known for their innovative safety videos. Most of my favorite safety videos were produced by them, though with the number of videos they’ve had, I can’t say that I loved all of them.

For example, Air New Zealand’s last safety video was so bad that the airline ended up pulling it early due to complaints. Now, they did formally deny that was the reason, and said that the decision was based on “a new campaign to stimulate domestic travel and promote tourism to Northland.”

Anyway, Air New Zealand has just released their latest safety video, called Air All Black. This happens to also be their 10 year anniversary of making quirky videos. The safety video is in support of the country’s rugby team during the 2019 season, as they prepare for Japan in September.

As the airline describes the video:

All Blacks Head Coach Steve Hansen along with Captain Kieran Read, Sam Cane, Anton Lienert-Brown and Ryan Crotty join a diverse cast in the safety video which takes viewers to the headquarters of “newly established airline” Air All Blacks where ideas for the airline’s first safety video are being discussed.

After insisting on being the next Air New Zealand spokesperson after traveling with the airline in 2017, Suits actor Rick Hoffman also features in the video, as well as leading Kiwi actor Cliff Curtis.

Building on the airline’s twenty-year partnership with New Zealand Rugby, the video also stars 1987 rugby legends Sir Michael Jones, Sir John Kirwan, Buck Shelford, Gary Whetton and David Kirk and former Black Ferns Captain Fiao’o Fa’amausili as well as former Australia Captain George Gregan.

Air New Zealand’s General Manager of Global Brand & Content Marketing says that the latest video is a futuristic take on two iconic Kiwi brands coming together to show how much rugby is in their DNA:

“Changing our name to Air All Blacks is a fun demonstration of our support for the boys in black. Our people feel a great sense of pride flying the team around the world and both organizations consistently show the world what a huge impact a small nation can make on the world stage.”

Here’s the new safety video, which is being rolled out throughout Air New Zealand’s network today:

Bottom line

There’s no denying that Air New Zealand is incredibly innovative when it comes to their safety videos.

Personally I’d say that I mildly like the new video, though it’s not my favorite that they’ve produced. That’s probably also a function of not being from the country and also not having much of an appreciation for rugby. No one can compete with Betty White…

What do you make of Air New Zealand’s new safety video?

Conversations (36)
The comments on this page have not been provided, reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any advertiser, and it is not an advertiser's responsibility to ensure posts and/or questions are answered.
Type your response here.

If you'd like to participate in the discussion, please adhere to our commenting guidelines. Anyone can comment, and your email address will not be published. Register to save your unique username and earn special OMAAT reputation perks!

  1. joe1357 Guest

    Well their national soccer team are the "All Whites" so...

  2. The Jetset Boyz Guest

    Our favourite Air New Zealand safety videos…

    Fantastical Journey and My Little Corner of the World certainly put a smile on our faces. Summer of Safety also did an awesome job of showing off the beauty of New Zealand… sooo want to visit! We also have to the thumbs up to Safety Old School Style starring Betty White!

  3. Ahmed Guest

    Don't let Alonzo find out about the Canterbury Crusaders Super Rugby team.

  4. Rezzadogs Guest

    The NZ Men's Basketball team is known as the "Tall Blacks". The Men's Cricket team is known as the "Black Caps". Seeing a theme yet? Well, just to muck it up, the Women's Netball team is known as the "Silver Ferns" - although they wear a black uniform.

    Black is the sporting colour of NZ - Air NZ also has some planes in a black livery.

    Personally I find this new video a bit...

    The NZ Men's Basketball team is known as the "Tall Blacks". The Men's Cricket team is known as the "Black Caps". Seeing a theme yet? Well, just to muck it up, the Women's Netball team is known as the "Silver Ferns" - although they wear a black uniform.

    Black is the sporting colour of NZ - Air NZ also has some planes in a black livery.

    Personally I find this new video a bit blah. Although throwing in some vision of George Gregan tackling Jeff Wilson, or Trevor Chappell bowling underarm would make it better :-P

  5. John Guest

    @Alonso

    Are you trolling?

  6. Mint Cake Guest

    @Alonso

    & for a while the NZ Badmington teams were known as the Black C**ks

  7. Mint Cake Guest

    If anyone want to go out of their way to be offended, for a while, the NZ Badmington team were known as the Black C*cks.

    p.s. great for Rugby to get talked about on OMAAT

  8. SullyofDoha Gold

    @Ben/lucky, it is all to do with the rugby World Cup. Not the general 2019 season.
    As for any of you who are offended by the team named the All Blacks, well I can only encourage you to park your sanctimonious outrage and do a little research on the team.

  9. Iain Guest

    @Alonso

    If it makes you feel any better the New Zealand soccer team are called the “All Whites”.

  10. Fiona Okawele Guest

    As a proud African, its nice to see a country that isn't so touchy feely about the beautiful word - Black.

    Other parts of the west have stifled and dare I say silenced their people. The new zealand approach is better.

    Fiona from Nigeria

  11. D3KingAmerican Diamond

    It’s a big year for the All Blacks with the rugby World Cup. I wouldn’t bet against them but Ireland is good too.

  12. The nice Paul Diamond

    The Betty White video and the latest video have different advice about the brace position. Is that a real change, or just sloppy film-making?

    Personally I hate these “funny” videos and find they distract from the core message. I’m an old fart and found their rap video literally unwatchable — it was an aural assault that left my brain screaming to turn it off. Not sure how that’s conveying “important safety information”.

  13. Kiwi Member

    As a NZer this is timed to coincide to the lead up to the Rugby World Cup in japan in September through October. The entire country will be focused on the games. I already have my ticket booked to Japan for the Quarter finals that will involve the All blacks.

    Of course it didn’t take long for an ignorant person to play the race card

  14. Malc Guest

    I'm a New Zealander and personally can't stand rugby. But there's nothing offensive about the name – they're called the All Blacks cos they're all in black. Seems pretty simple, really.

  15. Norita Guest

    @Alonzo actually I am american.
    There is a reason why the team is called All Blacks. Respect that reason and don’t shade it with what Americans find offensive.
    Obviously New Zealanders don’t find it offensive or they would not have named their national team All Blacks.

  16. MH Diamond

    Alonzo,

    No, it's not GLOBAL values. And who are you to say it’s culturally unacceptable, do you speak on behalf of everyone in the world?

  17. Alonzo Diamond

    @Norita

    It's not American values, it's GLOBAL values. And who are you to say it's culturally acceptable, do you speak on behalf of everyone in NZ?

  18. Jo145 Member

    @Alonzo - they're call the All Blacks because their uniform is all black (back in the early 1900s they had a black strip on the uniform and then it gradually changed to black shirt/white shorts and then black shorts).

    Sometimes a duck is just a duck.

  19. Creditian Guest

    African American would consider ANYTHING relating to BLACK as insulting, discrimination, and racist. And that exactly reflects their knowledge about the whole world.

  20. Eskimo Guest

    This is not politically correct anymore.

    They should call it "Air All of Color", "Air All Afro New Zealand"
    They should not stereotype Japanese people of having a baby robot.

    Yes this is how F*** up diversity and USA have become.
    @Dion I just hope NZ doesn't end up way too far like USA.

  21. Norita Guest

    @Alonzo
    Yes from American point of view.
    Let’s not impose American values everywhere.
    American values are not universally relevant or accepted.
    Respect the New Zealand culture, it’s not the same as American.

  22. Dion Guest

    @Alonzo, it originated from back when they used to refer to teams by the colour of their uniform rather than their place of origin, but then it stuck.

    http://rugbymuseum.co.nz/article-all-blacks-the-name/

  23. Alonzo Diamond

    @Dion

    Thanks for clarifying. Terrible name for a rugby team imo.

  24. Ed Diamond

    Any All Blacks safety video that doesn't feature the Haka is a wasted opportunity in my book.

  25. Ricky Member

    Not Air NZ related, but the All Blacks also did a fun video for their sponsor on the streets of Tokyo:

    https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=5w2mBzgmUIo

  26. Dion Guest

    @Alonzo & @Eskimo,

    Our (NZ's) national rugby team is called the All Blacks, this is a reference to that and nothing more.

  27. Dion Guest

    @Alonzo & @Eskimo

    Our national rugby team is called the All Blacks, this is a direct reference to that and nothing more.

  28. Gene Diamond

    @ Ben -- Just in from DJT: this is a filthy, crime-infested airline.

  29. Alonzo Diamond

    Calling something "Air All Blacks" is insensitive. Who the hell comes up with this junk?

  30. Stanley Guest

    IMPORTANT QUESTION: I never understood why airlines like Air New Zealand or Air Fiji get SO Much more attention than Big ones like LATAM, Iberia, Alitalia, Wizzair. Fiji and New Zealand are quite remote from most of the readers in Europe and America AND their population is very small.
    Any thoughts?

  31. Mike Guest

    @Eskimo: "Air All Blacks. Isn’t it such a mockery.
    I wonder how long it would take for someone to play the race card."

    Apparently, three posts.

  32. Eskimo Guest

    Air All Blacks. Isn't it such a mockery.
    I wonder how long it would take for someone to play the race card.

  33. Scott Lyons Guest

    You really have to know the people and understand New Zealand for it to be interesting, almost everyone in the video is a current or former rugby player and very famous in New Zealand, in a good way or a bad way...like the Australian player that keeps showing up. I think it's a really cool video.

  34. Nathan Guest

    Nothing about the drunk DL pilot today...?

Featured Comments Most helpful comments ( as chosen by the OMAAT community ).

The comments on this page have not been provided, reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any advertiser, and it is not an advertiser's responsibility to ensure posts and/or questions are answered.

joe1357 Guest

Well their national soccer team are the "All Whites" so...

0
The Jetset Boyz Guest

Our favourite Air New Zealand safety videos… Fantastical Journey and My Little Corner of the World certainly put a smile on our faces. Summer of Safety also did an awesome job of showing off the beauty of New Zealand… sooo want to visit! We also have to the thumbs up to Safety Old School Style starring Betty White!

0
Ahmed Guest

Don't let Alonzo find out about the Canterbury Crusaders Super Rugby team.

0
Meet Ben Schlappig, OMAAT Founder
5,163,247 Miles Traveled

32,614,600 Words Written

35,045 Posts Published