Newsletter
Alaska Airlines Does the 'Safety Dance' in Appeal to 2021 Travelers
Real employees strut their stuff in Mekanism spot
How can Alaska Airlines, struggling mightily along with most travel-related companies amid the pandemic, convince passengers to book flights in 2021?
By enlisting a dozen of its employees to bust some moves to the tune of Men Without Hats’ 1983 dance-pop classic “Safety Dance,” rewritten for the Covid era!
In the booty-boppin’, synth-sational clip below, we learn:
“You can fly if you want to,
You can leave your house behind.
But if your friends don’t mask—
Why don’t they mask?
Well, they won’t fly this airline!”
“You can fly if you want to,
Cause we do safety right.
We have air that’s clean
And disinfectant machines
Zapping germs like an arcade space flight.”
Way to keep it ’80s with the video-game reference. That keytar slinging steward really wants his MTV!
“It’s crucial to continue to find creative ways to get travelers to mask up as we move into 2021,” says Laura Wimer, executive creative director at Mekanism, which developed the campaign with Partizan director Warren Fu.
The goal, Wimer says, is “to shine a spotlight on the numerous safety procedures that matter most right now, and to highlight the brand’s best asset: the Alaska Airlines employees and their undeniable spirit.”
Alaska Airlines has a history of casting its workers in amusing spots, including this bongo-blow-out with Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson.
“We have the raddest employees in the travel industry,” says Natalie Bowman, the carrier’s managing director of marketing and advertising. “Not only do they constantly deliver smiles with their genuine, caring service, they happen to have great dance moves.”
“Do the dance,
Do the dance.
Everybody wash some hands!
Do the dance,
Do the dance.
No, seriously, please wash your hands!
Do the dance,
Do the dance.
HEPA filter cleaning commence!”
CREDITS
Brand Team: Alaska Airlines
EVP, Chief Commercial Officer: Andrew Harrison
SVP, Marketing & Guest Experience: Sangita Woerner
Managing Director, Marketing & Advertising: Natalie Bowman
Brand Activation Marketing Manager: Whitney Ellison
Creative Agency: Mekanism
Executive Creative Director: Laura Wimer
Creative Director: Rachel Carlson
Associate Creative Director: Max Eastman
Associate Creative Director: Jen Miller
Partner/Chief Operating Officer: Mike Zlatoper
Managing Director, Seattle: Lisa Zakroff
Brand Supervisor: Ana Sabarots
Senior Project Manager: Lauren Lambertson
Chief Strategy Officer: Jeremy Daly
Associate Director of Strategy: Anna Rainwater
Executive Producer/Managing Director: Sarah DiLeo
Senior Producer: Martin Risberg
Sr. Business Affairs Manager: Kourtney Luster
Media: Haworth Media
Music: Manage This Media
Music Supervisor / Executive Music Producer: Janet Billig Rich
Music Producers: Dan Petty & Doug Petty
Production Company: Partizan
Director: Warren Fu
Managing Director / Executive Producer: Lisa Tauscher
Head of Production: Kelly Martin
Line Producer: John Gomez
DP: Tom Banks
Choreographer: Anna Matuszewski
Art Director: Darcey Zoller
1st AD: Damian Payne
1st AC: Ryan Brown
Gaffer: Vince Klimek
Key Grip: Greg Smith
Makeup: Jennifer Popochock
Stylist: Ron Leamon
Editorial: Mek Studios
Executive Producer/Managing Director: Sarah DiLeo
Sr. Post Producer: Martin Risberg
Editor: Jeremiah Shuff
Animator: Richard Krolewicz
Color: Company 3
Colorist: Matt Osborne
Mix: M-Squared Productions
Engineer: Phillip L
