Delta Airlines

Reaching new heights with
Sky Sports and The Masters

Delta’s fully integrated campaign, when paired with the Sky Sports partnership, created a unique opportunity for Delta to tell our story in a relevant way during the Masters tournament, while driving key brand metrics for the brand in consideration and most importantly, purchase intent.

By leveraging compelling content with the significant reach, we were able to positively change perceptions of the Delta brand in the UK.

Jacob Abel, International Marketing Director, Delta Airlines

Delta Airlines

Delta reached new heights with Sky Sports and The Masters

Delta partnered with Sky Sports to elevate its association with the Masters, creating a branded content series, driving brand awareness and trial, delivered to perfection. Lead by world class golfers talking about their experiences of the last 9 holes of the Masters course enhanced the experience of golf fans across the country. With the perception of Delta being a premium brand increasing from 11% to 16%, the partnership was on par!

0
%
more likely to fly with Delta in the next year
0
%
increase in brand perception of Delta as premium
0
%
increase in likeability, overtaking competitors

Challenge

Delta Air Lines approached Sky Media with a challenge. The brand wanted to elevate its global partnership with The Masters to upmarket males across the UK. The partnership united the leading US global carrier with golf’s premier tournament to improve brand perceptions of Delta as a premium and upmarket offering in the U.S. Subsequently, a platform was needed in the UK to extend awareness, promote premium brand values and ultimately, drive trial.

Insight

Research shows the Sky Sports Golf audience are twice as likely to be high-net- worth individuals (earning £50k+) who fly business or first class vs. the UK population. This offered Delta a lucrative audience and platform to deliver its brand message.

Idea

Teeing off professional golf’s first major championship of the year, Sky Sports and Delta partnered to enhance the viewing experience for audiences across the country.

Taking advantage of the intensity of the final 9 holes, in the final week of the masters, which holds a captive audience on the edge of their seats, Sky & Delta co-created 9, short-branded documentaries to be broadcast within the Masters coverage, named ‘the Last Nine’. These short films told the stories of world-class golfers – including last year’s champion, Sergio Garcia alongside golfing hero Bubba Watson – and their experiences of the ‘Last 9’ at The Masters where the “minimum requirement is perfection”. The documentaries would mark the first time advertiser funded programming has featured across Sky Sports premium golf estate, taking the partnership beyond a branding exercise, into the editorial.

Activation

Boasting multiple award wins, including a BAFTA for its unrivalled coverage of golf’s heritage professional championship, The Open, Sky Sports provided a fitting and premium environment for the content to live. Working hand-in-hand with production, the partnership delivered content on par with the editorial coverage to ensure a seamless and quality delivery.

Leveraging the relationships Sky Sports hold with world-class golfers, each 5 minute documentary featured ex-champions sharing their advice with current and upcoming Masters Competitors on how to improve performance, reinforcing Delta Air Lines’ mantra of constantly striving for perfection.

Each documentary was carefully woven into editorial coverage across Sky Sports Golf channel, enhancing viewer experience with unparalleled insight. This approach continued onto Sky’s on-demand platforms to extend reach and offer viewers an outstanding and accessible viewing experience. Further targeting to core affluent audiences was activated via AdSmart and Sky AdVance across linear and digital throughout the campaign to ensure the content was not missed.

Illustrating the dedication required to achieve perfection in golf, the 9 episodes culminated in an hour-long documentary, edited and curated by Sky Sports to be broadcast across linear, on-demand and digital platforms. This not only added to the viewing experience of consumers across the UK with Delta at the forefront, but also extended brand reach and engagement for Delta beyond the Masters week with the content available for a month post event.

Results

Engagement

  • 10% of viewers are likely to fly with Delta in the next year! (vs 4% of non-viewers)
  • Viewers are more likely to fly with Delta Air Lines (10%) than direct competitors American Airlines (7%) and United Airlines (6%)
  • Direct action from 1 in 4 Sky viewers exposed as a result of the partnership (visiting Delta website/ booking a flight with Delta, talking to friends/family about Delta)

Shift In Perception

  • Brand perceptions of Delta as premium, increased by 14%
  • Likeability for Delta rose from 40% to 56%, overtaking competitor American Airlines at 41%

Awareness

  • Spontaneous brand awareness for Delta increased from 11% to 16%
  • 24% of viewers made a strong association between Delta and The Masters (from 7% pre campaign)

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