WHAT: “Find Your Way With Emoji,” a video for KLM’s Emoji Messenger Service.
WHO: The video–and the service–were created by digital agency Code D’Azur for KLM Royal Dutch Airlines and powered by Google Places.
WHY WE CARE: Navigating an unfamiliar city as a traveler has gotten a lot easier as smartphones have given everybody a tiny local expert in their pocket, but that comes with problems of its own: information overload, slow connection speeds, the embarrassment of shouting “Where is the nearest ATM???” at Siri in public, etc. KLM’s Emoji Messenger Service solves all of those problems by being a Facebook Messenger-based service where you send the airline an emoji, and it quickly responds with directions to whatever it is you’re looking for. Send them a burger emoji, they’ll direct you to the highest-rated burger joint nearby, with directions in any of 10 languages you prefer. Send them a money stack emoji, they’ll take you to the ATM. Sprain your ankle? Send a hospital emoji. Send ’em an elephant, they’ll take you to the zoo. You get the idea–if you want a one-click solution for navigating Hong Kong, Nairobi, or Tuscaloosa, this is definitely the cutest way to get around.