After the pandemic lockdowns, small businesses were suffering–and that had particular significance for Delta. Using its massive national network to serve small businesses in America is a pillar of Delta's legacy, and it's a pillar of Delta's businesses, too. Small business seemed hesitant to fly again; only 28% of Delta travelers were small business owners during the time, leaving much room for growth.
As a brand on a mission to better connect the world, Delta saw an opportunity to use its brand platform and national infrastructure to connect smaller business owners with new customers that they desperately needed.
To bring our campaign to life we enlisted Issa Rae, a known supporter of diverse small businesses, a fashion icon and a frequent flyer, and worked with eight SkyMiles members running six small businesses to create an exclusive line of travel-savvy products. Delta was not only supporting small business owners, but investing in making the travel experience better for all consumers. Each creator sat down with Issa for an interview and photoshoot that generated 119 pieces of social content and 30 mixed media assets. We housed the interviews and teased the collection by building a microsite where curious consumers could engage with our content, and later, tune into the live show. The collection itself needed to speak to Delta’s DNA, so we worked with our designers to marry business travel and leisure; we created and sold 13 unique products including a slip-on shoe that makes traveling through TSA easier, innovative capsules designed to hold daily essentials, an on-the-go tracksuit that goes seamlessly from boarding to boardroom, and more. Finally, the debut collection went down the runway at LAFW, where 200 guests joined us in a converted airplane hangar for hors-d'oeuvres, drinks and a fashion show hosted by Issa herself. That night, we made history by becoming the first-ever airline to create a sellable fashion line and Delta’s commitment to a bold idea paid off.
In three short months, we facilitated the opportunity for two icons to build a strategic partnership to elevate small businesses. Ultimately, we were able to support small business owners by creating and selling almost 500 items in record time, with over 2000 people tuning into the livestream of our runway show.
Total campaign results generated 2.4M microsite impressions, 2.1M organic views on social posts, and 160K organic engagements on social posts. There were over 2,000 public mentions of our campaign on social media, 95% positive or neutral – a drastic difference from Delta’s average of 64% positive/neutral mentions. And the campaign garnered the attention of non-traditional publishers like Hypebeast and Essence, proving Delta’s ability to enter cultural conversations beyond the airline industry, ultimately connecting small businesses with even more potential customers.
