The Hobbit has inspired the new Air New Zealand safety video
Middle-earth fans get ready, the magical world created by Tolkien is set to soar to new heights with Hobbits, Dwarves and Wizards taking flight in Air New Zealand’s latest on board safety video, titled ‘An Unexpected Briefing.’
The safety video is inspired by the upcoming fantasy adventure The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, which is the first in a trilogy of films from director and Kiwi Sir Peter Jackson.
To have Gollum step off the movie screen for the first time and into an Air New Zealand aircraft is incredibly special and Sir Peter Jackson delivers a superb cameo
The video has been created in conjunction with the Academy Award-winning Weta Workshop (The Lord of the Rings films) and features appearances from Jackson, as well as the unforgettable character, Gollum, and descendants of J.R.R Tolkien, author of the timeless masterpiece The Hobbit on which the trilogy is based.
Customers who pay close attention to the safety video could win a once-in-a-lifetime Middle-earth experience in New Zealand. Hidden within the video are secret Elvish codes. Viewers who spot the codes can then visit www.airnzcode.com/hobbitmovie to unlock the door to Bag End and be in with a chance to win a trip for two to New Zealand, including a tour of the Hobbiton movie set, a visit to the Weta Cave in Wellington, and double passes to the red carpet global premiere of The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey.
The safety video, which was rolled out across Air New Zealand’s aircrafts from yesterday, can be viewed below.
Mike Tod, Air New Zealand General Manager of Marketing and Communications, said: “‘An Unexpected Briefing’ is a further reflection of the world class creative talents of New Zealanders. This latest safety video inspired by The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey is another example of how New Zealand is a hotbed for creative talent.
“Our partners at Weta Workshop and Weta Digital, which brought Gollum to life inside the aircraft, have helped us demonstrate again that if you want to engage with audiences in a unique way, our nation has immense creative capability,” Mike said.
“Sir Peter Jackson and the team at Warner Bros. Pictures in the United States were fantastically supportive during production of the video. To have Gollum step off the movie screen for the first time and into an Air New Zealand aircraft is incredibly special and Sir Peter Jackson delivers a superb cameo. He should come out from behind the camera more often!”
Two great grandsons of The Hobbit author J.R.R Tolkien, Mike and Royd Tolkien, also make a cameo appearance in the safety video.
Royd Tolkien, who features in the video with prosthetic hairy Hobbit feet, says the opportunity to be part of Air New Zealand’s association with The Hobbit movies was too good to miss. “They’ve done a great job of capturing the essence of The Hobbit films and it was a privilege to be invited to participate,” Royd said.
Kiwi Dean O’Gorman, who plays the Dwarf Fili in the movie, can be spotted amongst the passengers in the safety video, along with two super-Hobbit fans from TheOneRing.net – the web’s largest Tolkien fan site.
Mr Tod says the release of ‘An Unexpected Briefing’ marks the official start of Air New Zealand’s two-year global marketing programme dedicated to The Hobbit Trilogy.
A forthcoming feature of Air New Zealand’s support of The Hobbit Trilogy will be a themed aircraft which will be unveiled prior to the movie’s global premiere in Wellington on November 28.
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