I’ve talked numerous times of how Cathay Pacific is working hard to recover the much-lost ground during the pandemic. The airline has restructured and has therefore returned to profitability. However, passenger figures are still far from where they were pre-2020. Also, the issue is its hometown itself. Hong Kong is slowly losing its predominant position as the financial capital and gateway to greater China. Therefore, Cathay must rebuild not only its own brand but also Hong Kong’s. The first step to do so? Create a safety video that celebrates the energy, vibes, and beauties of Hong Kong.
About The New Cathay Pacific Safety Video
Apart from the first scene which has quite a strange feel the new safety video hits the nail on the head on giving the feel of what Hong Kong is all about while retaining all the necessary safety information. My issue with the first scene is that it feels very AI generated. Not the two cabin crew in the foreground but the people walking in the background. It just feels a little robotic and, as said, AI generated.
That aside the video takes passengers on a journey through the beautiful city of Hong Kong. To be honest with you, it brought me back to my last visit and made me want to go back. So, on me at least, it totally had the intended effect. The intent clearly is a tourism generating one as the HKTB (Hong Kong Tourism Board) was involved in the video’s production.
Among the locations shown in the video are:
- A “dai pai dong” to touch on the no-smoking announcement.
- A “dragon boat race” to show instruction on the life vests
- Shek O Beach for pre departure information
- Causeway Bay
- Xiqu Centre at the West Kowloon Cultural District
- The Peak Tram
- Yau Ma Tei’s historic Tin Hau Temple
- Clearwater Bay Country Park
The only parts of the video, and I fully endorse this choice, which are not Hong Kong themed are those regarding the emergency evacuation instructions. I fully agree that these must be as clear and straight forward as possible.
When Will the New Safety Video Rollout?
The wait won’t be long. The video will gradually rollout on all Cathay Pacific flights starting August 1st 2024. Within a few days passengers flying on the entire CX fleet will admire this Hong Kong promotional video with safety information before departing on Cathay flights.
