Delta’s Debuts New “Kaleidoscope” Ad Campaign

Delta’s Debuts New “Kaleidoscope” Ad Campaign

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Delta Air Lines has today unveiled its newest ad campaign, which doesn’t necessarily emphasize what I’d expect.

Delta brings color to travel with new ad campaign

Delta has a new 60-second ad campaign named “Kaleidoscope,” which will air during tonight’s Top Chef Season 20 premiere on Bravo, and it will be featured on TV through July. In addition to the full-length ad, there will also be shorter 6-30 second versions shown across network television, on-demand, and digital online video.

Here’s how Delta describes this ad campaign:

Through the iconic voice of recent EGOT winner, Viola Davis, the new campaign features a :60 spot showing a woman in a gray world, lost to the mundaneness of her daily routine. She then sees a Delta plane pass by and thinks, “is there more?” We then cut to the Delta gate as she prepares to board a flight –and we see the jetway opens as a portal of color. As she boards, we are instantly transported through her travels as she experiences the rich color of the world – both literally and metaphorically.

As the spot comes to a close, viewers are left with a thought-provoking statement: “…Simply opening your eyes, can open your world.” Simply put, it’s time to get out there and explore!

You can see the ad for yourself below.

My take on Delta’s new ad campaign

Airline ad campaigns generally take one of two forms — either they try to encourage travel and wanderlust, or they try to promote the product offered by an airline, or both. This ad campaign very much falls in the former category, and is intended to make people want to travel.

I’m kind of surprised to see Delta take that direction:

  • This ad does nothing to tell us why we should fly Delta over a competitor
  • This ad doesn’t talk at all about Delta’s product, and doesn’t highlight any of its investments, like rolling out free Wi-Fi to all SkyMiles members
  • While past ads have sometimes been about business travel, this ad is clearly not focused on that, and even paints day-to-day business as a dark existence
  • I’d argue that consumers don’t really need ads convincing them of why they should travel, since I think wanderlust has already been at an all-time high since travel restrictions were lifted following the pandemic

So yeah, in my opinion this is a perfectly pleasant ad that’s a reminder of how travel can bring joy to peoples’ lives. I’m just surprised that this is the direction Delta is going, not in any way highlighting why someone should fly with Delta over a competitor.

By comparison, I think the recent Singapore Airlines “Welcome to World Class” ad campaign was better executed. It manages to strike the right balance between encouraging wanderlust while also trying to explain how Singapore Airlines offers a superior inflight experience.

Bottom line

Delta has a new 60-second ad campaign named “Kaleidoscope,” intended to get viewers out of their mundane everyday lives, and transport them to somewhere more interesting. I’m a bit surprised to see Delta have an ad campaign focused exclusively on encouraging wanderlust, rather than an ad explaining why consumers should choose Delta.

What do you make of Delta’s new ad campaign?

Conversations (13)
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  1. Kris Guest

    Who is the actress in the new Delta commercial? Great selection!

  2. iamhere Guest

    Agree there is no points or reference for Delta before the end.

  3. Greg Guest

    Odd they're emphasizing color the same week they're phasing out the purple uniform. Unless bright red makes a comeback with Deltalina which would be great - back to the winning days of the early-mid 2010s.

  4. ConcordeBoy Diamond

    SIDEBAR: they should've never gotten rid of Adiemus.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FXUpW1KqOl4

    Imagine if they'd kept it in association as long as UA has with "Rhapsody..."

    1. Heathrow_LHR Guest

      Agree! The Adiemus era was by far their best set of marketing campaigns. There were several for the transatlantic fleet, and I think they did at least one for their Pacific fleet too, with that song.

    2. Greg Guest

      Depressing campaign.

      We Love to Fly and it Shows is by far the most impactful and memorable campaign they've aired, and really motivated the employees, which is often a factor in airline advertising

    3. ConcordeBoy Diamond

      "Depressing" would be about the weirdest take on it I've heard, but to each their own.

      What real "campaign" was there for the We Love to Fly era? It was mostly just a tagline, tacked on to several different types of advertisements.

      Personally do associate it with Dusty and Pawberry Punch though, so on a personal level, that's nice. ;)

  5. CK Guest

    This entire reading so much into a simple commercial is thought provoking. Though I think much of one’s decision is due to bias. Some bloggers who don’t like Delta nitpick the airline for the oddest of reasons.

  6. George Romey Guest

    Some clown with a Marketing Ad/Research Company (often scam artists) convinced a bigger clown in DL marketing this would do what I have no idea?

    1. Greg Guest

      Yup

      Although I can say I'm tired of grey and black all over airports and planes. They can start by replacing the black carpet from ATL that shows every last crumb

  7. Tom Guest

    Is the departure gate B32 in the ad a real one somewhere or just a training station somewhere.

    1. Creditian Guest

      If you google DL262 shown in the video, you can find the answer.

  8. Joe Guest

    Good point, as one could easily experience this kaleidoscope of a world by using any of their competitors.

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ConcordeBoy Diamond

SIDEBAR: they should've never gotten rid of Adiemus. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FXUpW1KqOl4 Imagine if they'd kept it in association as long as UA has with "Rhapsody..."

2
George Romey Guest

Some clown with a Marketing Ad/Research Company (often scam artists) convinced a bigger clown in DL marketing this would do what I have no idea?

2
Kris Guest

Who is the actress in the new Delta commercial? Great selection!

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