Uncommon unveils captivating period drama-inspired British Airways safety video
Bridget Jones’s Diary director Sharon Maguire worked on the short, which takes inspiration from Britain’s rich and varied history made famous through its literature, TV and film.
British Airways and its agency of record Uncommon have unveiled their latest onboard safety video, ‘A British Original Period Drama.’ The film draws inspiration from renowned British period literature, TV, and film and features 40 of the airline’s staff.
It’s built on the insight that British dramas, such as Bridgerton or Outlander, are extremely popular overseas, so this video will resonate with many passengers.
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In the film, viewers witness the ladies and lords of the manor, along with housekeepers and butlers, going about their daily lives in period Britain until they are suddenly interrupted by modern-day British Airways staff demonstrating the safety briefing.
In one scene, a 19th-century socialite is fascinated by a moving picture, known today as a laptop, before being reminded to store personal electronic devices before take-off. The characters continue to be bewildered by modern-day gadgets and, when asked, “Is it a winged creature of the air or, perchance, a celestial contrivance navigating the skies?” Ellis Brett, an apprentice in aircraft maintenance, responds, “No, ma’am. That’s a British Airways A350.”
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The five-minute video was filmed in various grand country estates, including Hatfield House in Hertfordshire and Englefield House Estate in Berkshire.
“We know that these videos deliver vital safety information, and it is so important that we keep our customers engaged, so we have created a video that captures the audience’s attention, using humor to do so,” said Calum Laming, British Airways’ chief customer officer.
“Of course, we’ve always said it’s our people who make us who we are and we are so proud to feature more than 40 colleagues as the stars of this film. With the help of our incredible people in front of, and behind, the cameras, we believe we’ve created something really original and entertaining that celebrates what makes Britain – and British Airways – unique while communicating the importance of safety on board.”
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Over time, the video will continue to be refreshed to keep flyers engaged.
Director Sharon Maguire added: “We put together a dream team of industry legends, from Jenny Beavan to Kave Quinn and Erik Wilson to Jack Ravenscroft.
“We definitely wouldn’t have pulled it off without them. They just loved the idea created by the talented and lovely creative teams at Uncommon and British Airways. Even though it felt like six shoot days crammed into three, we got some really excellent performances from all the cast, most of whom were BA staff.”