Safety First, Entertainment Second: Do Quirky Airline Videos Actually Work?

Passengers flying British Airways these days might be surprised to find themselves whisked away not to Heathrow or Gatwick, but back to 19th-century England. Picture men on horseback, ladies in carriages, and a corset so tight, it might require an oxygen mask.

This is no time-travelling fantasy; it's the airline's new safety video, dripping with references to British culture and capitalising on the popularity of period dramas like "Bridgerton". It's part of a trend where airlines are using increasingly cinematic safety briefings to offer passengers much more than just the location of the nearest life vest. British Airways claims the new film is designed to "keep customers engaged with important safety messaging".

But, are these attention-grabbing, viral-seeking videos effectively sharing vital safety information, or merely providing entertainment with a side of branding and cultural awareness?

Aviation experts are divided. They trace the rise of quirky safety videos back to a playful cartoon briefing from Virgin America in 2007 and Air New Zealand's 2009 briefing, which featured crew members in little more than body paint demonstrating the "bare essentials of safety". Since then, celebrities, traditional dancers, high-profile directors like Taika Waititi, and even a K-Pop group have appeared in increasingly elaborate productions in the name of airline safety.

Experts and officials remind us that air travel is remarkably safe – the US airline system has gone 15 years without a fatal crash. The chances of experiencing an emergency onboard are extremely low. Blaise Waguespack, a professor at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Florida, explains that these creative safety videos reflect an attempt by airlines to break through the constant "clutter of content" on digital devices and reach distracted passengers – "always an issue when attempting to deliver information today".

Some experts applaud the effort. Kevin Kuhlmann, a professor of aviation and aerospace science, points out that for a long time, briefings "have been mandated and scripted in a manner that was benign and mundane", causing regular fliers to tune them out. He believes these creative videos bring "the briefing back into focus".

But, while safety videos set in a Pixar-like sci-fi animation or the world of Lord of the Rings offer plenty of visual distractions, Scott Koslow, a professor of marketing, argues that with these videos, "you might actually get attention that you couldn't get otherwise" and "a little bit of confusion might just be a decent price to pay to get people to look at the screen".

However, whether that attention translates to retention is another question entirely. Some airline personnel attribute the successful evacuation of a Japan Airlines plane that collided with another aircraft earlier this year to the airline's short and simple safety video. The limited research available on this topic suggests mixed results for the airlines' Hollywood-inspired glow-up.

A 2015 study with 45 participants found that, when watching a safety video, a humorous one holds attention better than a celebrity-studded one or a standard video. Another study from the same year, with 82 participants, found that while safety briefings using funny elements or movie themes positively impact participant moods, "there was a trade-off between entertainment and education" and "the greater the entertainment value, the poorer the retention of key safety messages".

Brett Molesworth, a professor who co-authored these studies, argues that the research is clear: "any overlap or confusion at the point of the key safety message – whether that’s entertainment, humour, etc. – undermines the safety message". We can only process so much information at once, he explains. When we encounter something entertaining or funny, "it often consumes all of our working memory capacity". He believes airlines need to "divorce those funny bits or the entertaining bits from the key safety messages".

It doesn't help that these videos sometimes avoid even showing the aircraft. In the British Airways video, seat belts are donned on horseback, and the plane exits are explained in a ballroom. An Air France safety video transforms the exit sign into an outfit worn on a fashion show catwalk.

Xiaoyu Wu, a lecturer who studies aviation and safety practices, believes these videos "attract your attention" but don't always effectively show the actual safety features of the aircraft. Such videos can miss what's important, he argues, stressing that "if it's really working, it's preparing people" in case of an emergency.

At least one airline has publicly taken this perspective to heart. Earlier this month, Emirates released a "no-nonsense" safety video that received praise from several aviation bloggers. Right from the opening, it's clear about its intent. "We do not have dancers breaking into song, characters from movies or celebrities trying to be funny I'm afraid," one flight attendant states. Another emphasises that while entertainment will be available later, "Safety always comes first".

Ultimately, the effectiveness of these elaborate safety videos remains debatable. While they may capture attention and enhance brand awareness, their ability to actually impart critical safety information remains a question mark. Perhaps a simpler, more direct approach might be the key to ensuring passengers are truly prepared for any unforeseen event.