Oct 22

Air New Zealand Returns to Middle Earth with ‘The Most Epic Safety Video Ever Made’ from True

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Air New Zealand, no stranger to well-publicized safety videos, is today launching “The Most Epic Safety Video Ever Made,” created by agency True and directed by Kiwi filmmaker Taika Waititi, in anticipation of the December release of The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies. 

The airline has been cashing in on the popularity of Peter Jackson‘s Tolkien adaptations since his Lord of The Rings trilogy, and this latest installment marks the third themed effort for The Hobbit series (less than a year after the last campaign), and the second flight safety video. Shot over the course of six days, at numerous locations used in the filming of the series, the spot also includes appearances from Elijah Wood (Frodo Baggins), Dean O’Gorman (Fili the Dwarf) and Sylvester McCoy (Radagast), as well as Jackson himself. As cheesy as might be expected, the ad will undoubtedly appeal to the kind of diehard Tolkien/Jackson fans who would plan a trip to New Zealand based around the films. It’s a much more sure bet than the controversial “Safety in Paradise” from earlier this year, as Middle Earth tourism has been a boon for New Zealand.

Director Peter Jackson was pleased with the video, saying, “Air New Zealand has created yet another fantastic video to celebrate The Hobbit films. This latest offering combines members of our cast and our locations with Air New Zealand’s unique personality.  I had a lot of fun on the set with Taika and the team and look forward to seeing the video on board.”

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Sep 20

Watch a Perfect Anti-Drug PSA from Clemenger BBDO

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“Blazed,” a two-and-a-half-minute anti-drug PSA from New Zealand shop Clemenger BBDO, is one of the best ads of the year. It’s also one of the best anti-drug spots I’ve ever seen. As Americans, we are used to seeing anti-drug PSAs that force themselves on us as deterrents – a smoker talking after living with a tracheotomy, an incomplete text message leftover from a vicious accident. All of these pleas are important, but it is easy to say, “That’s sad,” and look the other way if you’ve never experienced any of those specifics.

“Blazed” isn’t confrontational like those commercials. A brief synopsis: three kids sit in a car, talking about what it’s like when their fathers are high and driving. It has a full narrative, some humor, great acting from kids, and almost doesn’t resonate as a PSA until the very end. In fact, it could even stand alone as a very short film, probably an extension of the influence from director Taika Waititi (an episode or two of Flight of the Concords and an Academy Award nomination for short “Two Cars, One Night”). But the subtlety and form makes it all the more powerful for the New Zealand Transport Agency. Definitely worth a watch.

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