Maya Angelou Encapsulates Virgin Atlantic's Spirit Into the World

Virgin Atlantic unveils the next chapter of its brand story with a bold, global campaign created by Lucky Generals. Building on the success of 'See the World Differently,' this new campaign shifts the spotlight from who Virgin Atlantic is to where it can take you – all while carrying its signature spirit of openness and positivity into the world.

Titled ‘A Rainbow in the Clouds’, the global multi-channel campaign champions the travel company’s spirit of openness and travelling with a restless energy. Showcasing just a few of the many desirable destinations Virgin Atlantic flies to, the campaign invites the world to see these places not just as dots on a map, but through the same vibrant lens as Virgin Atlantic and its travellers – as places to dive into fully and embrace with energy.

The multi-faceted campaign spans the UK and US, and starts a new chapter for the brand and is made up of film, OOH, press, digital and social and was developed in collaboration with PHD UK and Jellyfish.

Shot by Nikolai Fuglsig, the hero film features rare archival audio of Maya Angelou talking about “being a rainbow in the clouds” in a seldom-heard interview. The powerful words perfectly encapsulate Virgin Atlantic’s spirit of travel and have been coupled with the modernity of American artist Daemon’s ‘Fired Up’ featuring Pastor TL Barrett’s ‘Nobody Knows’.

As Maya intones, “I’ve had clouds, but I've had so many rainbows”, a sleek Virgin Atlantic plane bursts through the clouds. Customers and crew – confident, stylish, and full of individuality – stride through airports and into the destinations themselves, carrying Virgin Atlantic’s unmistakable spirit with them.

From spontaneous acts of kindness - a business traveller offering their fan to someone in need – to joyful moments of connection, such as a jaw-dropping cricket catch in the sea, the ad captures how Virgin Atlantic’s crew and customers move through the world with a spirit of generosity, fun and flair.

The OOH, shot by Tom Van Schelven, features the crew as an embodiment of Angelou’s words, the iconic red Vivienne Westwood uniform creating a literal rainbow in the clouds as they stride through New York.

A take-over of London’s Bond Street tube station will bring the work to life where Virgin Atlantic will be surprising and delighting commuters with the opportunity to pack their bags and fly that weekend on a spontaneous trip to New York.

Virgin Atlantic and Lucky Generals worked with The Diversity Standards Collective to ensure the people and places that featured in the campaign were represented positively and progressively. Via the DSC’s Targeted Community Research and Testing Platform they conducted a series of Professional Community Councils across multiple countries in order to receive both industry experience and lived experience at key stages within the creative process.

Annabelle Cordelli, senior vice president global marketing at Virgin Atlantic said, “We are incredibly excited to share the next chapter of our Virgin Atlantic story which showcases what makes Virgin Atlantic different. Our new global brand campaign 'Be a Rainbow' captures that distinctive Virgin Atlantic energy and the red spirit of our cabin crew, taking our customers to some of the world’s most desirable destinations.

“Maya Angelou’s distinctive voice and beautiful words resonate with all of us at Virgin Atlantic, her voiceover encapsulates how we see the world differently, encouraging our customers to travel with an open heart and an open mind as they take on the world.”

Rich Miles, CEO at the DSC, said, “It’s always a pleasure to work with Lucky Generals and Virgin Atlantic, two of the most forward-thinking businesses out there, on their campaigns. They understand how vital it is that if you want your campaign to resonate and not irritate, you need to actually speak to the communities you are trying to reach. Our Community Campaign Testing Products allow you to do just that.”

Joe Stamp and Tom Prendergast, creative directors at Lucky Generals, said, “When the world seems full of clouds, we need Maya Angelou to remind us how powerful it is to be a rainbow.”