Air NZ video said to cost $2.5m
Air New Zealand’s ‘‘blockbuster’’ safety video would have cost about $2.5 million, an industry expert predicts.
Three weeks ago Air NZ released ‘‘It’s Kiwi Safety’’ – the national carrier’s 18th safety video since 2009. It features a cast of 600, mostly volunteers.
Unlike previous videos it does not feature international stars, instead opting for New Zealand artists including musicians Kings, Theia and Randa and actor Julian Dennison from Hunt for the Wilderpeople and Deadpool 2.
The video, backed by an adaptation of Run-DMC’s 1980s song It’s Tricky, was shot in Auckland, Wellington, Hokitika, Naseby, Ranfurly, Dunedin and Balclutha and has been described by Air NZ as a ‘‘genuine mini blockbuster’’.
On Monday Air NZ claimed the video had been viewed 20 million times in just three weeks, including more than 10 million views on Chinese website iQiyi.
However, on YouTube it has had only 2.2 million views and iQiyi does not show how many views the video has.
Air NZ did not respond to questions about costs or how it came up with 20 million views.
Ben Goodale, managing director of advertising agency justONE, estimated that the safety video would have cost the airline $2.5m, maybe a bit more, and would have taken more than three weeks to make.
‘‘It’s a pretty savvy production. There is a lot of camera time and the editing will have been huge,’’ he said.
Goodale, who has more than 20 years’ marketing experience, said costs would include star talent, music rights and production.
‘‘They have cleverly used community groups who they would be able to make donations to in lieu of expensive individual talent arrangements. However, it’s easy to underestimate the time and resource needed.’’
If Air NZ’s claim it had been viewed 20 million times was correct, getting that many views for a YouTube advert would cost about $1.5m, he said.