Amid stormy economic and geopolitical skies, Virgin Atlantic has a new call to action: “Be a Rainbow in the Clouds.”
On Friday night, the carrier booked big-budget slots on British primetime television, with a slick minute-long commercial marking the start of a global campaign. At its heart is rare archival audio of the late poet, author, and activist Maya Angelou. Her featured words include: “I’ve had clouds, but I’ve had so many rainbows.”
The style and tone are textbook Virgin Atlantic and follow in the footsteps of the airline’s 2022 campaign. Shai Weiss, Virgin Atlantic CEO, describes the 2025 offering as a “second chapter,” building on the philosophy of non-conformity in earlier marketing efforts.
In 2022, it was all about the people. Minority and under-represented groups were celebrated, accompanied by a modern interpretation of the Gloria Gaynor classic, “I Am What I Am.” The entire commercial was set in the airport or onboard the plane and followed LGBTQ+ customers and crew, travelers with disabilities, and passengers with potentially provocative body art.
What’s Changed for 2025?
The 2025 edition takes a different approach. The diversity is still there, not least in Angelou’s powerful prose, but it’s also about the diverse destinations served by the airline – arguably a much safer corporate position amid intense culture wars.
It showcases New York, India, and the Caribbean – all key markets for the British long-haul carrier. People still play a key part, but the explicit diversity messaging has been toned down significantly.
In the words of Annabelle Cordelli, the carrier’s SVP of global marketing: “It is an invitation to dive into life, championing open hearted and open-minded travel. True to our purpose that everyone can take on the world.”
Virgin Atlantic has disabled comments on YouTube for this latest video. The comments section of its more controversial 2022 advertisement is filled with allegations of “wokeism,” box ticking, and virtue signaling. It has been viewed more than 26 million times over the past three years.
Virgin Atlantic is known for being proactive in its diversity messaging. The airline’s Gender Identity Policy, published in 2022, allows cabin crew, pilots, and ground personnel to choose which uniform best represents them. At the time, Virgin said the move “cements its position as the most inclusive airline in the skies.”
A Broader Industry Shift?
In recent weeks, major U.S. airlines have dialed down statements on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) after wide-ranging pushback from the Trump administration.
For example, in American Airlines’ 2024 10-K regulatory filing, the company doesn’t include a section on DEI despite these appearing in the four years prior. In its 2023 annual report, American said, “Cultivating an environment that celebrates diversity, equity, and inclusion is a priority for us,” and listed a range of company initiatives to increase diversity.
Delta and Southwest were the only two major U.S. carriers that included a statement on DEI in their 2024 annual reports.
Meta, Amazon, and Walmart are among the other big American companies that have reportedly scaled back diversity initiatives.
Even the late Maya Angelou, whose voice is used prominently in the Virgin Atlantic commercial, has been drawn into the debate. Last week, the Associated Press reported that her autobiography, “I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings,” was among 400 volumes removed from the U.S. Naval Academy library. It came after Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s office ordered the library to remove books that promote diversity, equity, and inclusion.
Taking to social media, Lucky Generals, the creative agency behind the new Virgin Atlantic campaign wrote: “In a world that feels filled of division and hate, Maya Angelou’s words are more powerful than ever.”
Airlines Face Economic Uncertainty
Navigating changing DEI laws and policies isn’t the only challenge for airlines. Virgin Atlantic’s new advertisement also comes at a fragile time for transatlantic travel. There are fears that recent policy shifts in Washington and economic uncertainty could dampen demand.
In late March, comments from Virgin Atlantic chief financial officer Oli Byers spooked some industry watchers. He described trading in the January-March quarter as “very strong,” however, cautioned that the American market may be cooling.
“In the last few weeks, we have started to see some signals that U.S. demand has been slowing,” Byers was quoted by Reuters, adding: “We think that is quite a natural reaction to general consumer uncertainty.”
Without quantifying the scale of the slowdown, Byers said any decline in American bookings would come from a high base. Demand for travel between the U.S. and Europe has boomed in the post-pandemic years – particularly in premium cabins where Virgin has a strong offering.
Why the U.S. Matters to Virgin Atlantic
Virgin Atlantic is based in the United Kingdom, however its ties to the United States run deep. North American destinations make up more than two-thirds of its global capacity, and Delta has a 49% shareholding in the company.
For its part, Delta warned last week that economic challenges are firmly on the company’s radar: “With broad economic uncertainty around global trade, growth has largely stalled. In this slower-growth environment, we are protecting margins and cash flow by focusing on what we can control,” said CEO Ed Bastian during the company’s earnings call on April 9.
However, there was a more upbeat appraisal of U.S. to Europe traffic from Delta president Glen Hauenstein. He said transatlantic sales are up significantly compared to last year, with demand primarily fueled by Baby Boomers.
“The cohort that is traveling right now has an average age in Delta One [business class] in the 60s, which means Baby Boomers are traveling.
“Being a Baby Boomer, I can say this without fear of attribution, there’s only so much time to go to Europe… So you’ve got this wealth effect where [this] cohort of retirees is wealthier than any other cohort even with the most recent rundown and they want to go do things,” Hauenstein added.
On Tuesday after U.S. markets close, United Airlines will be the latest carrier to report its first-quarter earnings.
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