One Does Not Simply Fly into Mordor

One must watch the safety video first! Those of you who have traveled by plane have had the experience of watching a flight attendant give a safety demonstration. He or she pointed out the exits, gave instructions on how to use a seatbelt, and talked about the oxygen masks. People tend to tune this out, especially if they are a seasoned traveler who has watched this demonstration many times.

Air New Zealand has created an airline safety video that everyone will happily pay attention to. The video shows a flight attendant who looks like a elf from The Lord of the Rings trilogy. She begins explaining the safety information to a group of passengers who include Hobbits, Elves, Wizards, a Ranger, and even Gollum himself. Filling out the remaining seats are passengers whose journey did not originate in Middle-earth.

Several characters in the video explain different parts of the safety information. Peter Jackson, director of The Lord of the Rings trilogy and the upcoming The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey makes a cameo appearance in the safety video. He finds a ring on the floor in front of his seat. “My Precious”, he says, before putting on the ring and disappearing.

According to Air New Zealand marketing manager Mike Tod, the video was part of a major global promotion for the movie The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey. He said:

“We will invest several million dollars in Australia, Asia, the United States and Europe on uniquely Air New Zealand marketing efforts related to ‘The Hobbit’ movies to attract more tourists to New Zealand.”