Air New Zealand has introduced a new onboard safety video as the country reopens to the world. The video tells the story of the ‘Tiaki Promise’, encouraging Kiwis and international visitors to care for the country, culture and people.
On Wednesday (May 4, 2022), Air New Zealand introduced a new safety video as the country reopens to visitors from around the world. The video features the story of the ‘Tiaki Promise’, where Tiaki, a young man boards a waka rererangi (flying canoe) and sets off on a journey across Aotearoa. The Tiaki Promise encourages Kiwis and international visitors alike to care for the country, culture and people. With the help of Air New Zealand and Julie (a character that embodies Air New Zealand), Tiaki visits four Māori guardians including Papatūānuku (the land), Tangaroa (sea), Tāne Mahuta (forest) and Ranginui (sea), seeking advice on how to better look after these natural treasures.
In Wednesday’s announcment, Air New Zealand’s General Manager – Brand and Marketing, Jeremy O’Brien, said,
“We want tourism to build back better than it was before and part of that is to share with our visitors a sense of kaitiaki – to encourage them to act like guardians of our country. Our Safety Videos are world renowned and through them, we have an opportunity to educate and inspire ourselves, our customers and Aotearoa on the importance of Tiaki and everything it stands for. It's about being good hosts, and good visitors.
“Julie's character in the safety video is there to show that caring for New Zealand isn't something Tiaki can do alone. It requires all of us to follow the Promise and commit to protecting Aotearoa for future generations to come.
“I'd like to thank Pou Tikanga and storyteller, Joe Harawira, New Zealand Māori Tourism and the New Zealand Māori Arts & Crafts Institute for guiding us, right from concept to the building of the waka, and the cultural formalities we followed throughout. The collaborative effort has helped us share this story and the principles of Tiaki authentically.”
Air New Zealand's New Onboard Safety Video 'Tiaki and the Guardians' - Courtesy Air New Zealand
For the production of the video, Air New Zealand worked closely with the New Zealand Māori Arts and Crafts Institute to design the canoe and its carvings, which was then taken to various locations and flown on wires to create real shadows and textures for post-production. Additionally, state-of-the-art LED stage screens which were used in The Mandalorian TV series helped bring the legends of Māori culture to life. Tiaki and the Guardians will be rolled out across Air New Zealand’s fleet from Monday, May 9, 2022.
Source: Air New Zealand