While Delta has intentionally increased representation within its own marketing assets, Faces of Travel is a program that continues Delta’s long-term commitment to increase representation that the larger travel culture can tap into: from social media to tourism ads, and everything in between, while pushing against stereotypes that have been created and upheld.
DELTA NEWS ON THE GO. Subscribe and follow.
At Delta, we believe that a more welcoming world, where everyone feels seen, included and respected, is a world worth welcoming. This is why we are building on our ‘Faces of Travel’ program by adding 100 new images to our Adobe Stock collection that authentically showcases diverse travelers out in the world enjoying travel in extraordinary ways.
Article
Delta is collaborating with Adobe to champion a more accurate and authentic representation of travelers today in order to inspire positive, lasting change within the travel industry and beyond.
The travel industry and culture have often portrayed a narrow and inaccurate view of people who travel, lacking representation of diversity in image and video content. While Delta has intentionally increased representation within its own marketing assets, Faces of Travel is a program that continues Delta’s long-term commitment to increase representation that the larger travel culture can tap into: from social media to tourism ads, and everything in between, while pushing against stereotypes that have been created and upheld.
“We understand the power of representation, which is a building block for this important program. Faces of Travel is an integral part of our broader commitment to move the travel industry and culture at large forward, by modeling diversity and inclusion in every aspect of the travel sector, while inspiring others to come along on this journey,” said Ashley Sherman, General Manager of ESG Marketing at Delta Air Lines. “Diverse travelers have been out seeing the world for decades, and it’s time the world started seeing them too."
Delta partnered with impact-focused creative company Kin to bring Faces of Travel to life in an innovative way. Together, we worked from conception to execution of the program, including the free visual library, now made up of over 200 photographs and 40 video clips. Diverse talent, both in front of and behind the camera, and capturing counter-stereotypical narratives remain critical to the concept, execution, and ongoing success of this multi-year program.
Delta is building on our ‘Faces of Travel’ program by adding 100 new images to our Adobe Stock collection that authentically showcases diverse travelers out in the world enjoying travel in extraordinary ways.
Delta is building on our ‘Faces of Travel’ program by adding 100 new images to our Adobe Stock collection that authentically showcases diverse travelers out in the world enjoying travel in extraordinary ways.
Delta is building on our ‘Faces of Travel’ program by adding 100 new images to our Adobe Stock collection that authentically showcases diverse travelers out in the world enjoying travel in extraordinary ways.
Delta is building on our ‘Faces of Travel’ program by adding 100 new images to our Adobe Stock collection that authentically showcases diverse travelers out in the world enjoying travel in extraordinary ways.
Delta is building on our ‘Faces of Travel’ program by adding 100 new images to our Adobe Stock collection that authentically showcases diverse travelers out in the world enjoying travel in extraordinary ways.
Delta is building on our ‘Faces of Travel’ program by adding 100 new images to our Adobe Stock collection that authentically showcases diverse travelers out in the world enjoying travel in extraordinary ways.
"For us, this project is important at multiple levels. It’s about correcting travel history. It’s about opening minds and attacking preconceived notions. It’s about inspiring more people to see themselves in faraway places,” said Sophie Ozoux, Co-Founder of Kin. “But it is also about building a more welcoming future together. More accurate and inclusive representation within travel culture and beyond will be essential to avoiding bias as we build the platforms and systems of tomorrow.”
For this new collection, photographer Seo Ju Park captured candid and personal moments in Cape Town, South Africa that showcase the true joy of travel and help break away from the reductive and cliched stereotypes of travel photography and imagery.
“The push for real representation on a large scale impacts every one of us. Changing perception and integrating new values in culture and entertainment takes consistency, and it’s not often you see this kind of consistently out there,” said Park. “I’m honored that I get to be a part of this because, as a creative Korean-Mexican, I’ve always craved to be part of projects with impact. Projects with representation like this make me feel seen."
Watch photographer Seo Ju Park’s approach to capturing images that authentically represent the diversity of travelers from around the world and hear her thoughts about why representation in travel culture matters to her.
In addition to the new collection of images, Delta worked with director Rodney Lucas to create an anthem film that takes on a retrospective narrative and showcases diverse families traveling all around the world from the ’70s to present day – highlighting the fact that the industry has failed to represent all. Based on the anthem film, we also created community specific vignettes that go deeper into the story of three diverse families’ travel journeys.
"As a Black father of a beautiful child with a disability, our film quickly blossomed into what I saw as a moment to make a generational imprint. Every face that you see in this spot is reflective of our personal will to establish true allyship,” said Lucas. “For our film, I wasn't just Rodney the Director, I was Rodney the father who understood the care it requires when traveling with my kids; I tapped into the 15-year-old Rodney who nervously flew on a plane for the first time, and this spot gave me a shot at honoring the families that are breaking generational boundaries as it relates to traveling."
Learn more about the campaign at Delta.com/facesoftravel.
About Diversity, Equity and Inclusion at Delta
At Delta, we are committed to Diversity, Equity & Inclusion as part of our work to connect and reflect the world. Delta drives meaningful impact by actively seeking diversity, boldly pursuing equity and consciously promoting inclusion while holding ourselves accountable to these goals.
In 2020, Delta made a commitment to become an anti-discrimination, anti-racist organization. The company periodically updates progress toward its multi-layered goals through racial equity progress reports and has placed a focus on closing diversity gaps within its workforce – setting goals for the diversity of our frontline to be proportionally reflected in their leaders. Additionally, Delta is applying a “skills-first” talent mindset that focuses on capabilities, competencies, and relevant experiences through an Apprenticeship Program and Delta Analytics Academy.
Delta's senior cross-divisional Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Council, made up of nearly 30 executive leaders, ensures these goals are embedded throughout the organization by evaluating corporate and divisional metrics, programs and proposals. Ten Business Resource Groups with over 24,000 actively engaged employees to ensure that diverse perspectives are brought to the table, serving as strategists and thought leaders on business issues.
As a "Best Workplace for Diversity," Delta has been recognized as a "Best Workplace for Women" by Great Place To Work and Fortune for three years in a row, "Top-Rated Workplaces for Veterans" by Indeed, and "Best Place to Work for Disability Inclusion."
Learn more at Delta.com/DEI or by finding Diversity, Equity and Inclusion on the News Hub.