Delta’s 100-Year Safety Video Is a Smart Reminder of How to Do Anniversary Marketing Right
Delta just turned 100. That’s rare air for any brand, let alone an airline. And instead of overthinking the moment or slapping a centennial logo on everything, they did something quietly clever: they updated their in-flight safety video.
The new video, A Hundred Years of Safety, walks passengers through different eras of Delta’s history, starting in the 1920s. Employees appear in historically accurate uniforms from each decade, with the look and feel shifting along the way. There are old logos, cultural nods, and even a quick Deltalina cameo for the longtime loyalists.
It’s fun without being gimmicky. And it works because it doesn’t feel like a campaign—it feels like Delta being Delta.
Why this choice matters
Safety videos are mandatory. Everyone has to watch them. And most people don’t really want to.
Delta took that reality and turned it into an advantage. If you’re going to have a captive audience anyway, why not use the moment to tell a story that actually reinforces what the brand stands for?
Instead of using the anniversary to talk about growth, routes, or milestones, they centered the entire thing on safety. The message is subtle but clear: a lot has changed over the last 100 years—fashion, culture, planes, logos—but this part hasn’t.
That’s a much more powerful statement than any headline could be.
The real star: Delta’s people
What’s great about this video is that it doesn’t rely on actors or abstract storytelling. It puts real employees front and center: pilots, flight attendants, and crew. These are the people who’ve literally carried the brand through the decades.
The uniforms aren’t just costumes. They represent training, responsibility, and trust. Delta even goes out of its way to remind you how seriously flight attendants are trained—and why that matters. That grounding keeps the nostalgia from feeling fluffy.
A few takeaways for anyone planning an anniversary
Milestone anniversaries can get awkward fast. They either turn into ego exercises or get so watered down they barely register. Delta’s approach is a good reminder that you don’t need to invent something flashy—you need to be intentional.
A few ideas that tend to work when done honestly:
Limited or special merch that actually feels considered
Content that shows how the brand has evolved (and why)
Educational material that pulls back the curtain a bit
Temporary revivals of products or experiences people genuinely miss
Moments or experiences instead of big announcements
And don’t celebrate by yourself
One of the biggest misses organizations make when planning and executing anniversary marketing is forgetting the audience. Customers, employees, and partners are part of the story, so let them feel that.
Delta didn’t throw itself a birthday party. It invited customers into a moment they were already part of. Every flight becomes a small reminder of the journey so far.
The best anniversary work doesn’t say, “Look how long we’ve been here.” It says, “You’ve been with us and we’re not done yet. So come along with us!”