Air New Zealand has released a heart-warming new video for Christmas.
Poking fun at the Kiwi accent, ?A Very Merry Mistake? sees Santa taking calls from New Zealand kids and trying to decipher what they want for Christmas, with some unusual results. In the clip, Santa?s helpers ? Air New Zealand?s Cabin Crew ? come to the big man?s aid providing some much-needed translation skills.
Mike Tod, chief marketing and customer officer for the carrier, said: ?While it?s no secret the Kiwi accent has been misunderstood at times, it?s also a signature part of our service. In fact, for many Kiwis, being welcomed onboard an Air New Zealand flight by crew after being offshore for some time makes them feel instantly back at home. We wanted to celebrate the festive season and the Kiwi accent in a humorous and uniquely Air New Zealand way.?
Miriam Meyerhoff, professor of linguistics at Victoria University of Wellington, added: ?New Zealand English has had 150 years to go native. In that time, the short vowels have wandered and that?s what makes it sound so distinctive ? as the flight attendant in the video explains. It?s great to see Kiwis owning this distinctiveness and embracing it for comic effect.?
You can check out the fun video here.
