ABU DHABI // Etihad Airways’ most glamorous frequent flyer on Saturday became the airline’s global brand ambassador.
The Oscar-winning Australian actress Nicole Kidman was introduced as the new face of the national carrier on Saturday to a gathering in Abu Dhabi of industry experts, Etihad cabin crew and the world’s media .
“When we talk about style, elegance and flair – that is Nicole,” said Etihad president James Hogan. “She is a great star, a great friend of Etihad Airways and a great friend of Abu Dhabi.”
The actress is delighted to be joining forces with the Abu Dhabi airline. "This is my second home here," she said in an exclusive interview with The National. "I have done movies all over the Middle East but I have also flown Etihad many times prior to becoming Etihad ambassador.
“I spend so much time flying just because of my job, and also because I am a traveller and I am curious about the world.”
The new Etihad commercial starring Kidman will be shown on TV stations around the world and on social media in 60 and 30-second formats, with still versions appearing in print, digital and other channels.
The advertisement was shot on board Etihad Airways’ new flagship Airbus A380 and at several sites around the world, including Abu Dhabi, Marseilles and Prague.
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■ Nicole Kidman revealed as Etihad's brand ambassador
■ Nicole Kidman revealed as Etihad's brand ambassador - in pictures
■ Abu Dhabi 'a second home', says Nicole Kidman
■ Nicole Kidman the 'ideal face' of Etihad
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The opening scene shows Kidman flicking through the pages of an inspirational novel at the Strahov library, and in subsequent sequences enjoying the revolutionary cabins and service aboard the new A380.
These include relaxing in The Lobby, enjoying watching TV in the spacious First Apartment and finally falling back into the double bed in the bedroom of the three-room The Residence by Etihad™ - the only such private living space in commercial aviation.
The accompanying soundtrack was commissioned by the airline and composed by Ramesh Sathiah, creative director and composer at the Sydney-based audio design company Song Zu. Sathiah’s simple, cinematic score, peppered with Arabic musical elements, forms the perfect accompaniment to the imagery. The soundtrack was conducted by Roger Benedict of the Sydney Scoring Orchestra, a group drawn from the elite musicians of the Sydney Symphony, Australian Chamber, and Australian Opera orchestras.
While Etihad Airways has previously had guest ambassadors, including Australian singer-songwriter, actress and The X Factor Australia judge Dannii Minogue, Bollywood actress Katrina Kaif and former Australia international cricketer Shane Warne, it is the first time the airline has appointed a global brand ambassador.
Kidman's breakthrough film role was in the 1989 thriller Dead Calm but it was her performance as Virginia Woolf the 2002 drama film The Hours for which she received most critical acclaim, earning her an Academy Award for Best Actress in 2003.
The Hollywood actress has most recently been shooting The Secret in Their Eyes, a film based on Argentine author Eduardo Sacheri's 2005 best-selling novel La Pregunta de sus Ojos.
jbell@thenational.ae
