An Urgent Message for Mr. Smith

Some companies want you to know they go the extra mile for their customers, and at times, they get their message across in creative and heartfelt ways. A company out of Belgium – Brussels Airlines – did just that in 2006 when it created a one-and-a-half-minute promotional video that was full of surprises. [Video at end.]

I won’t spoil the effect by telling you the outcome, but I’ll set it up for you because it’s one of the most cleverly produced videos I’ve ever seen.

It starts with a crisis.

You almost don’t notice the bongo drum in the background, but with its insistent tap-tap-tapping, the drumbeat ramps up the crisis feeling from the start.

The scene begins with an airline official dashing down an airline terminal to a gate and breathlessly asking the attendant if Mr. Smith has boarded the plane yet. Then, more tap-tap-tapping on the keyboard just to heighten the emotion further.

When it becomes evident that Mr. Smith has already boarded the plane, and that the plane is at that very moment taking off, the scene seems to erupt into full panic mode.

It’s go-time!

They have to get an urgent message to Mr. Smith, and even a plane on the runway won’t deter them!

Immediately, we hear people giving orders over the phone and see others jumping over desks. Then we see a whole crew of airline personnel actually running past waiting passengers in the terminal, dashing out of the building, and bolting down the tarmac – as a group.

As they are running, running, running (on the runway!) the video adds a blowing horn to the bongo beat – just in case you didn’t get the fact that this is a crisis.

Something is drastically wrong here.

Or is it?

When the pilot tells Mr. Smith to look out his window, we find out what the “crisis” is all about. The way they get their message to Mr. Smith and the message itself will be the final surprise. And I’m sure you’ll love it like everyone on the plane did!

The video is just brilliant.

Cleverly created art like this is a modern virtual window into a very touching scenario of human goodness that – sometimes – turns out to be true. Actual human goodness is not play-acting. In real time, people do sometimes go the extra mile to give others the dose of inspiration they need to keep going in life.

We should take all that inspiration and…er…run with it.

Please take a moment to enjoy other recent Sacred Windows Vignettes.

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