A new look for its airplanes, a new advertising agency, a new ad slogan, upgraded business class service on its trans-Atlantic flights . . . after years of struggling financially, Delta Air Lines is now, as Al Jolson used to sing, sittin' on top of the world.And you'd better get used to hearing about it. "Delta. On Top of the World" is the Atlanta-based airline's - and Utah's dominant air carrier - new tagline announced Wednesday by New York ad firm, Saatchi & Saatchi, which won the account in March from BBDO Worldwide.
The new slogan replaces "You'll love the way we fly."
The ad campaign's television debut was scheduled for Thursday night during NBC's "Must See TV" lineup, including "Seinfeld" and "ER." It is already appearing in print ads.
The promotion is geared at kicking off Delta's upgraded service to Europe, including more seat space, more food choices and more en-ter-tain-ment.
"What you are witnessing today is Delta suiting up for the race," said Robert Coggin, executive vice president of marketing for Delta, in a release Wednesday. "Our goal is for Delta to lead the industry in customer service and innovative products over the next two years."
Coggin said a Delta team is meeting with seat experts both in and out of the aviation industry to find a "perfect fit" for business travelers.
By the end of May, Delta said it intends to have nearly doubled the legroom and seat recline for transAtlantic business class travelers on its Boeing 767 and Lockheed L1011 jets and most of its McDonnell-Douglas MD-11 planes. Legroom will increase from 10.1 inches to 20 inches, leg rest height will increase from 35 degrees to 70 degrees and the recline will go from 7 inches to 13 inches.
The reconfiguration is scheduled to be completed for all of Delta's 48 business class jets by summer. Business class is priced between coach and first class.
Last year, Delta became the first airline to broadcast live television and give passengers the ability to power laptop computers in flight.
And last month Delta unveiled a new paint scheme or "livery" for its aircraft, their first makeover in 30 years.
It is designed around a revised corporate logo, adopted before last year's summer Olympics, that features a new typeface for the company name and adds "Air Lines" in sky blue. It still includes Delta's triangular shield, known in the company as the "widget."
The new airplane design features more white, except for the tail, which is mostly blue. What's the big deal? Well, airlines are sort of flying billboards, and their design says more about the corporation than anything else the public sees. Coggin said they took the redo so seriously they spent four years thinking about it.
A Delta spokesman said the new design is supposed to convey a number of impressions, including "worldly, contemporary, aggressive, businesslike, clean, professional and confident."
Delta's current design dates to the advent of jet aircraft in the mid-1960s and has since undergone only a few modifications, making it one of the world's most recognized corporate logos.
On May 15, Delta says it will add Sony Video Walkmans for first and business class passengers on all Lockheed L1011 and most of the Boeing 767 planes. The hand-held video players will offer passengers a choice of 11 different movies, in English and four other languages, at no charge. New films will be offered every three months.
For the past year, Delta has also been soliciting passenger input on its trans-Atlantic food service. A spokesman said the results are in and the "first wave of improvements" will begin showing up on selected flights this month.
Outbound U.S. passengers get a hot egg and burrito breakfast, while an English tea service will be offered on flights from the United Kingdom. Olympic menus from "Food and Wine" magazine as well as "comfort" items, such as Cornish game hen and wild rice will be served.
By the end of May, all of Delta's international customer service coordinators and flight attendants will complete what is being described as "their most in-depth training in six years." The idea is that they anticipate the needs of international passengers, the spokesman said.