Winston Aldworth: Video nasties

Anything is better than the tuneless rapping of Israel Dagg which blighted the last video.

Like the videos or not, Air New Zealand has done it again. Its latest safety video was viewed more than 1.5 million times in the first 24 hours after its release last week. It was the talk of the town - but the talk wasn't all good.

Herald online travel writer Eli Orzessek summed up the weariness of some regular fliers with the quirky safety videos.

"For frequent flyers, particularly those who take the short flight between Auckland and Wellington on a regular basis, these videos have become so mind-numbingly irritating that it's likely more people than ever are actually ignoring the rather important safety message contained somewhere within."

Orzessek's views were echoed in social media. But, like Donald Trump, the national carrier knows it's better to be talked about than ignored.

I've always liked these videos - and I admire the thinking behind them. Although this latest one falls a little flat; perhaps New Zealand reached peak Rhys Darby 18 months ago. Still, anything is better than the tuneless rapping of Israel Dagg - "Snoop Dagg", as some called him - which blighted the last video.

Regardless, they'll keep rolling the videos out. They are less a safety briefing than a slick marketing tool. And the marketing message is smart; Air NZ is painted as being fun, friendly, innovative and perhaps a little bit edgy. All values that many in the marketing trade would scribble on a whiteboard as part of "Brand Kiwi".

Crucially, the videos are talked about. In writing this column, I've proved their point.