Am I breaking the law if I just can't watch?
I flew back from San Diego last week on United Airlines. (I know…I hate it when I have to go from Minneapolis to San Diego in November to meet with a client. Darnshootheck). United utilizes digital screens that drop from the overhead-bin heavens to provide the flight safety regulations, something we’re so accustomed to ignoring when the flight attendants give us the song and dance.
One might think that the application of video could be a more compelling form of communication. However, the flight safety video left way too much to be desired, and I cannot understand why United would not (or could not?) find a more attractive way to make the point. The actors were stiff as boards, the animations were pedestrian and unimpressive, and the running time felt like 20 minutes.
Federal law requires that we are informed of the safety measures every time we board a plane. But, like all other forms of communication, we are numb to the message when there is nothing unique about it. Granted, there is not much you can do with informing people about flight safety; the message itself is important stuff. However, using a new medium for the message does give you flexibility to modify and refresh the variables of delivery so that people do pay attention.
Off the top of my head, I could name five ways to make this much more compelling.
In an industry that is regularly vilified by consumers, and in a situation where that consumer is about as captive as possible, airlines can leverage this opportunity to present a positive impression.
