“Communication Strategies in Airline Safety Videos: A Comparative Analysis of Air New Zealand, Lufthansa, and Qatar Airways”

This thesis examines how three major airlines: Air New Zealand, Lufthansa, and Qatar Airways use safety videos as strategic communication tools. The objective is to understand how humor, formality, and prestige contribute to brand identity and passenger engagement. By analyzing three representative safety videos— “The Most Epic Safety Video Ever Made” (Air New Zealand, 2014), “Nonstop You” (Lufthansa, 2018), and "Safety Video featuring FC Barcelona" (Qatar Airways, 2021)—this study explores the balance between creativity and regulatory compliance. The research is grounded in the Elaboration Likelihood Model (ELM) and Multimodal Communication Theory, evaluating the effectiveness of different communication strategies in influencing passenger perception. The analysis will focus on the role of narrative techniques, visual aesthetics, humor, and branding elements in shaping how safety information is presented and retained by passengers. This study aims to contribute to the broader discussion on marketing, branding, and corporate communication strategies in the airline industry.