Air New Zealand has launched a new safety video telling the story of Tiaki, who takes on an adventure to show off the wonders of the country while remaining safe and protecting the landscape.
The story, retold through a safety video that includes all of the important steps for safe plane travel, is of a young man called Tiaki who boards a waka rererangi (flying canoe) and sets off on an adventure across Aotearoa.
Aided by two helpful Air New Zealand employees and Julie, a character who embodies the rest of NZ, he visits four Māori guardians including Papatūānuku (the land), Tangaroa (sea), Tāne Mahuta (forest) and Ranginui (sky) while learning how to better look after them.
Air New Zealand General Manager Brand and Marketing Jeremy O’Brien says as people start to return to Aotearoa, this safety video is an invitation to them to act as guardians while they’re here.
“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.”
Tiaki and the Guardians will be rolled out across Air New Zealand’s international and domestic fleet from Monday, 9 May 2022 and is available to watch below:
