Ferry company safety video expires….only now there’s a SEA-quel

Wednesday 13 July 2016

Just when you thought it was safe to go back in the water………a new Condor Ferries safety video is due.

The ferry company took the rap for a cringeworthy safety video 15 months ago – but now plans are in the pipeline to film another.

The current video has now been mothballed as the accompanying music was licensed only for a year – and that has expired.

However, passengers hoping that Condor wouldn’t make a replacement are set to be disappointed – with plans afoot to create another video. Last year’s onboard rap was panned by some national newspapers and came only weeks after Condor’s new £50 million vessel was out of action after an accident on its second day in service.

The safety video made headlines in the UK national press for all the wrong reasons as the Daily Telegraph branded it an "unbelievably bad rap video" and warned readers it "could be the most embarrassing thing you'll ever watch." While the Daily Mail questioned whether a "rapping captain, superhero staff and some VERY awkward dance moves" make for "the worst safety demonstration of all time."

The video involved a silky smooth captain, sassy stewardesses and street-wise stewards – but the joke fell flat.

The video was broadcast on all crossings between Poole and the Channel Islands and was designed to be fun and catchy with rhymes like "Now ladies, hey ladies, you have to realise sharp objects can't go on our slide so leave those heels behind" to help passengers remember their safety instructions.

Condor bosses say they gave the video the thumbs-up, but most viewers who got to see it on Youtube weren't impressed and one even questioned whether it was an early April Fool. Another insisted he would immediately use the life jacket to abandon ship if forced to watch it.

Condor saw ferry figures to and from the mainland fall 21% in the five months of this year, compared to 2015.