Delta uses color to convince consumers to fly its brand

Amid a pullback in leisure travel, Delta Air Lines is showcasing why consumers should choose its brand in a splashy new ad campaign. Called “Kaleidoscope,” the campaign highlights the experiences travelers get from flying with Delta.

A new minute-long anthem spot from longtime agency of record Wieden+Kennedy illustrates the point. Narrated by Viola Davis, the commercial shows the world losing color and giving way to “greige,” a horrifying mix of gray and beige. The scene for one young female traveler shifts to a world of colorful experiences, including compelling hues of “honey-yellow,” “periwinkle,” and “teal aqua” at destinations around the globe. “Things stay the same, when the same is where you stay. But at Delta and every one of the hundreds of destinations we fly to, simply opening your eyes can open your world,” Davis says.

The new work comes weeks after the Atlanta-based airline released a campaign promoting its SkyMiles loyalty program, marking the first time the brand was investing in significant marketing behind the program. Many marketers are looking to loyalty programs as a revenue growth driver as consumers crave more personalized experiences and better connections with their brands.

Following the double whammy of Southwest Airlines’ holiday cancellations and January’s Federal Aviation Administration air traffic meltdown, consumers have said they are less inclined to fly. A January survey from the research arm of travel marketing agency MMGY Global found that 48% of active leisure travelers are less likely to book air travel in the next nine months. Higher prices could also be creating more reticence, experts have said.