Case study
- Project Type:
- Corporate, exhibition and marketing support production
- Client:
- Virgin Atlantic
- Location:
- Heathrow
The Brief
Aimed at their Cabin Crew Virgin Atlantic Airways wanted a new video production to dispel the largely stereotyped view of what terrorists are perceived to look like and that a they can look like just about anyone. The airline also wanted to inform their staff that not all anti terrorist activities are visible and that a great deal goes on behind the scenes. Virgin saw this line of communication as playing a vital part in confidence building with its personnel and to inspire them to play a proactive role in looking after themselves, their colleagues and their passengers.
The Solution
To bring home the reality and simplicity that terrorists can engage to further their ends we chose a true event that had terrible consequences.
On August 24th 2004 two Russian aircraft took off within minutes of each other from the same Moscow airport bound for different southwestern Russian cities.
The first plane disappeared from radar at 10:56 p.m. (0756 GMT), the news agency said.
The second plane, a Tupolev-154, dropped off the radar shortly afterwards.
The accident investigation team looked closely at two female passengers with Eastern surnames. They both bought tickets at the airport about an hour or 90 minutes before the flight, checked in at about the same time, then got on different flights.
This real life scenario was re-enacted using actors at Gatwick Airport .The film was shot entirely on location at a busy check in time without disrupting any airport operations. The film follows the two passengers through exactly the same procedures carried out at Moscow airport which included multiple questioning and bribing of officials.
The film was endorsed by the Head of Security for Virgin Atlantic Airways and concluded with a reminder that it could happen anywhere.