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I’ve been to more tech events and launches than I can count in my decade-plus as a tech reporter, but Delta’s CES 2025 keynote was the only one that blew me away, literally and figuratively. That’s because the airline combines tech and storytelling to evoke an emotional response that feels surprisingly personal and deeply affecting — and in doing so, creates an instant link to one of the world’s greatest possibilities. coming year.
Delta takes advantage of technology in the world’s largest spherical venue, the Las Vegas Spherewhich is a giant orb covered inside and outside screens, for its centennial event. In honor of its 100-year history, the airline also pulled Viola Davis, Tom Brady and Lenny Kravitz on stage to make it a proper party. But what’s even more impressive is how Delta uses every little bit of power the Sphere has to bring the wow factor to a CES that’s so lacking in standout moments to inspire some real excitement about how the change of technology in our life.
Viola Davis helps Delta tell its story to audiences.
In fact, by fully harnessing the power of Sphere technology, Delta feels like it’s showing the world how serious it is about technology in a way that many companies, already established technology brands, can learn from. . Sphere’s wraparound LED screen serves as a canvas for epic storytelling about the airline’s past, present and future.
Technology companies often promise us that their innovations will make us feel more connected and bring us more meaningful experiences. They rarely deliver on these promises in a way that satisfies us, the people who use that technology. From social media, to VR, to conversational AI, there’s a gap between what we’re told we can feel and how we actually feel about it.
Check it out: Las Vegas Sphere: Everything You Need to Know
The Sphere, on the other hand, is full of technology that delivers on its promise. It creates a sense of shared wonder which in this case helps me feel emotionally invested in the brand. Even as someone who has never flown Delta before (it’s not a major airline where I live in the UK), I got a full understanding of the airline’s priorities, its people and its announcements. , which includes an AI concierge and partnerships with Uber and YouTube.
Before Delta CEO Ed Bastian even took the stage, the audience was treated to a slow sunrise that swept across the Sphere’s truly massive 160,000-square-foot screen before a big Delta plane headed straight for us. My seat shook and I was blown by a gust of wind that made me feel like I was literally being pushed off an airport runway.
A spectacular fireworks display closed the show.
It was one of several moments during the keynote that Delta used the haptic technology built into each of the Sphere’s 10,000 seats, combined with the venue’s visual and audio capabilities, to create a full-body multisensory experience. At one point, as the screen turned into a giant cockpit and we appeared to be drifting away from the ground, I felt my eyes and my stomach churning – a feeling similar to the kind of motion sickness I used to feel. in VR and in. roller coasters.
The 3D effect of a spinning globe gave the impression that it filled the Sphere, while a closing firework display filled the sky with whizzes, pops and bangs that echoed through the seats. Closer moments saw cameras zoom in on longtime Delta employees scattered through the audience, as Bastian paid tribute to their contributions over the years in aviation.
Lenny Kravitz’s set also took advantage of the Sphere’s large screens.
Even before the keynote, which took Delta almost a year to design and prepare, this event was the hot ticket at CES – and as it turned out, rightly so. Regular Delta flyers might have preferred it if the airline had invested the money in expanding legroom, but this ever-cynical reporter was impressed by the sight, which made me more optimistic about the technology than I would have been without it. somewhat lackluster tech show.
There was a stark contrast between the dreary, repetitive announcements and the heartfelt presentations by the actual Delta flight attendants, paired with the multisensory nature of the event made me feel enveloped in the world of a a bold, iconic brand that’s not afraid to steal. the show.
