Delta Air Lines is turning its attention to the moments before the medals with a new campaign that explores the emotional, physical, and personal journeys of Olympic and Paralympic athletes long before they reach the world stage.
Developed in partnership with Team USA and Wieden+Kennedy New York, the campaign follows athletes on their path to the 2026 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games in Milano Cortina. The work brings Delta’s brand belief to life by framing travel not as a transaction, but as a transformative experience.
Directed by Sam Brown and shot by cinematographer Autumn Durald, the campaign unfolds across three hero spots supported by social content. Together, they document the highs, lows, and quiet in-between moments that define an athlete’s journey.
The first spot, Altitude, premieres during the Olympic Opening Ceremonies and examines why so many athletes train at high elevations, exploring both the physical demands and mental resolve required to prepare at that level. Watch below:
Commit to Fly zeroes in on a deceptively simple moment: checking in for the flight to Milano Cortina. The act becomes a symbolic threshold, marking the point where years of preparation turn into a singular, irreversible journey.
The third film, What We Carry, shifts the focus to the unseen weight athletes carry. Shot in a left-to-right conveyor belt motion, the spot visually mirrors airport baggage handling while emphasizing that what Team USA carries is far more than equipment. Memories, expectations, sacrifices, and support move alongside physical luggage, reinforcing the emotional core of the campaign.
“The work had Olympic-level stakes, but we wanted the stories to feel deeply human,” said Jessica Sugerman, art director at Wieden+Kennedy New York. “Even while capturing epic athletic moments, we focused on the shared experiences that come with travel—the growth, the uncertainty, and the things we carry with us, both literally and metaphorically.”
As part of Delta’s national NBC partnership, the work will air across NBCUniversal’s broadcast, cable, and streaming platforms, with localized extensions in key markets. Social executions will feature Team USA athletes, including Maia and Alex Shibutani, Andrew Kurka, Bea Kim, Declan Farmer, Malik Jones, Erin Jackson, Kate Delson, and Justin Schoenefeld.
By grounding elite athletic performance in universal emotions, Delta’s campaign reframes the Olympic journey as something audiences can recognize in their own lives—one flight, one commitment, and one moment of lift-off at a time.
CREDITS:
BRAND: Delta Air Lines
• Alicia Tillman – Chief Marketing Officer
• Emmakate Young – Managing Director
• Maya Dukes – Creative
• Nathan Smith – General Manager
• Alex Kibbler – Strategy Manager
• Kelly Lampley – Art Director
• Clarke Modlin – Art Director
• Hannah Gray – Project Manager
• Courtney Loomis – Project Manager
• Patreece DeChabert – Producer
• Melissa Abbott – Marketing
• Paul Ruiz – Marketing
• Derek Ramos – Marketing
• Leroy White – Marketing
• Scott Storey – Coordinator
• Justin Hancock – Content Manager
• Josephine Sturkey – Project Manager
• Michelle Li – Content Manager
• Sarah Morgan – Creative Director
AGENCY: Wieden+Kennedy New York
• Marques Gartrell – Chief Creative Officer
• Brandon Henderson – Chief Creative Officer
• Brad Phifer – Creative Director
• Rose Sacktor – Creative Director
• Lillian O’Connor – Creative Director
• Stu Rubin – Associate Creative Director
• Sara Muchnick – Copywriter
• Jessica Sugerman – Art Director
• Peter Jostrand – Art Director
• Nick Setounski – Head of Production
• Craig Keppler – Executive Producer
• Bianca Cochran – Producer
• Kennedi Woods – Producer
• Casey Jennings – Account Manager
• Kerry Kenneally – Account Director
• Kelsey Ransdell – Account Director
• Nicole Sullivan – Account Supervisor
• Caroline Kaynor – Account Executive
• Sara Stember – Project Manager
• Emma Herrington – Project Manager
PRODUCTION COMPANY: Imperial Woodpecker
• Sam Brown – Director
• Doug Halbert – Executive Producer
• Charlie Cocuzza – Executive Producer
• Mary Livingston – Producer
• Marlo Verdin – Production Supervisor
• Autumn Durald – Director of Photography
• Quito Cooksey – Production Designer
• LeeAnn Jarvis – Costume Designer
• Joe Carter – Assistant Director
• Jonathan McGarry – Assistant Director
PRODUCTION SERVICES: Flying Fish
• Bryan Knox – Executive Producer
• Jay Isaacs – Executive Producer
• Spencer Whiting – Camera Operator
• Justin Eeles – Camera Operator
• Carlos Garcia Knight – Camera Operator
• Connor Van Orden – Camera Operator
POST/VFX: Company 3, New York
• Tom Poole – Colourist
POST/VFX: Preymaker
• Angus Kneale – VFX Artist
• Verity Kneale – VFX Artist
• Melanie Wickham – VFX Artist
• Clairellen Wallin – VFX Artist
• Kendall Rotar – VFX Artist
• Jamie Scott – VFX Artist
• Paris Hall – VFX Artist
• Jongmoon Woo – VFX Artist
• Yashira Diaz – VFX Artist
• Byron Tofas – VFX Artist
• Nicholas Young – VFX Artist
• Kelley Harris – VFX Artist
• Helmut Fritsche – VFX Artist
• Marion Wilson – VFX Artist
• Nathan Anderson – VFX Artist
• Sue Jang – VFX Artist
• Wes Waldron – VFX Artist
• Jay Bandlish – VFX Artist
• Brandon Phillis – VFX Artist
• Paul Cardon – VFX Artist
EDIT: Trim Editing
• Jamie Foord – Editor
• Josh Mannox – Editor
MUSIC/SOUND: Wave Studios NY
• Aaron Reynolds – Sound Designer
• Austin Ferreira – Sound Mix
• Eleni Giannopoulos – Music Producer
For more of Reel 360 News’ Olympic coverage, click here.
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