With the addition of one hundred new images to their Adobe Stock collection, Delta Air Lines is expanding its “Faces of Travel” initiative. The initiative features genuine depictions of people from various backgrounds experiencing travel around the world.
Faces of Travel continues Delta Air Lines’ commitment to increasing representation that the larger travel culture can tap into from social media to tourism ads. The company is aiming to challenge the stereotypes that have been created and upheld.
“We understand the power of representation, which is a building block for this important program,” said Ashley Sherman, General Manager of ESG Marketing at Delta Air Lines. “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.”
Delta Air Lines Partnered With Kin
Delta Air Lines partnered with creative company Kin to bring Faces of Travel to life in an innovative way. They contributed to every stage of the process from brainstorming to launching the program. It now features a free visual library with more than 200 photos and 40 videos.
Sophie Ozoux, the co-Founder of Kin, stated that the concept, execution and ongoing success depended heavily on the diverse talent.
“For us, this project is important at multiple levels. It’s about correcting travel history, opening minds and attacking preconceived notions. It’s about inspiring more people to see themselves in faraway places,” Ozoux said. “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.”
Photographer Seo Ju Park has released a new collection of photographs taken in Cape Town, South Africa. He hopes the photos will help dispel some of the negative stereotypical connotations attached to the genre of travel photography.
“I’m honored that I get to be a part of this because, as a creative Korean-Mexican,” Park said. “I’ve always craved to be part of projects with impact. Projects with representation like this make me feel seen.”
A New Film
In addition to the new images, Delta Air Lines worked with director Rodney Lucas to create an anthem film. The film shows diverse families traveling around the world. It dates from the ’70s to the present. It shows the industry’s failure to represent all cultures. The program’s community-specific vignettes expand on the anthem film’s story of three diverse families’ travels.
“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,” Lucas said. “Every face that you see in this spot is reflective of our personal will to establish true allyship.”