Challenge
Delta Airlines’ purpose is to connect the world. They strive to diversify travel culture and make the world more welcoming. But the industry has mostly excluded the experiences and perspectives of diverse travelers, leaving them feeling unseen and underrepresented.
Lack of Representation in Media/Culture: • 62% of consumers aged 50+ agreed with the statement: “I wish ads had more realistic images of people my age,” and nearly half (47%) shared that “ads of people my age reinforce outdated stereotypes”. (American Association of Retired Persons (AARP) survey 2021) • Two in three Black Americans don’t feel properly represented in media. (NRG 2020) • 65% of Asian respondents and 60% of Hispanic respondents say they are more likely to trust brands that represent a diverse range of people. (Ipsos 2021)
Idea
“Faces of Travel” is a long-term commitment to increase diverse representation within travel culture—from social media, to tourism ads, and everything in between.
At the heart of the program is a visual library showing travelers of diverse races, ages, gender identities, religious beliefs, and physical abilities. The collection was shot entirely for this purpose, and made broadly available free of charge through an exclusive partnership with Adobe Stock.
From the choice of our photographer Seo Ju Park, to our production crew, cast, locations, and activities, we thoughtfully curated a diverse team and crafted counter-stereotypical narratives to capture authentic, truthful experiences.
The initiative was supported by two films, OOH, social media, influencer content, and partnerships with Vice, Refinery 29, Travel+Leisure, People, Food & Wine, Shape, and Southern Living.
Results
The platform launched in September 2022. According to Kantar, the anthem spot performed in the top 5% of US TV ads generating an intuitive emotional response, and led to a big lift on brand metrics including “brand I love” (+9.5%) and “brand that shares my values” (+11.7%) in just two months. The campaign received coverage in Yahoo!, NBC, Essence, Travel Noire, The Root, MUSE, and AdAge.
Faces of Travel is an important step in creating a world where everyone feels welcomed. We are developing the next iteration to launch spring 2023.