I’ve been to more tech events and launches than I can count in my decade as a tech journalist, but Delta’s CES 2025 keynote is the only one that blew me away, literally and figuratively. Indeed, the airline has combined technology and storytelling to elicit a surprisingly personal and deeply touching emotional response – and, in doing so, has made a clever connection to one of the biggest possibilities of the coming year.
Delta harnessed the technology in the world’s largest spherical venue, the Las Vegas Sphere, which is a giant orb covered in upside-down screens, for its centennial event. In honor of 100 years of history, the airline also brought Viola Davis, Tom Brady and Lenny Kravitz on stage to make it a real celebration. But what was particularly impressive was how Delta used all the immersive power that the Sphere possessed to bring the wow factor to a CES that was sorely lacking in standout moments to inspire real excitement about how the technology could transform our lives.
Viola Davis helped Delta tell her story to the public.
In fact, by fully harnessing the power of Sphere’s technology, it felt like Delta was showing the world how serious the technology was, in a way that many companies, including established tech brands, could. ‘inspire. The Sphere’s wraparound LED screen served as a backdrop to tell epic stories about the airline’s past, present and future.
Technology companies often promise that their innovations will make us feel more connected and provide more meaningful experiences. They are rarely able to deliver on these promises in a way that is satisfying to us, the people who end up using this technology. From social media to virtual reality to conversational AI, there is a gap between what we are told we will feel and how we feel about it.
Watch this: Las Vegas Sphere: Everything You Need to Know
The Sphere, on the other hand, is full of technologies that deliver on their promises. This creates a shared sense of wonder which, in this case, helped me feel emotionally invested in the brand. Although I’ve never flown with Delta before (it’s not that big of an airline where I live in the UK), I came away with a deep understanding of the airline’s priorities, its people and of its ads, which included 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 stretched across the Sphere’s massive 160,000 square foot screen before a massive jet Delta is not heading directly towards us. My seat rumbled and I was blasted by a gust of wind that made me feel like I was actually being thrown off an airport runway.
A fascinating fireworks display closed the show.
It’s one of many moments during the keynote where Delta used haptic technology built into each of the Sphere’s 10,000 seats, combined with the room’s visual and audio capabilities, to create a full-body, multi-sensory experience . At one point, as the screen morphed into a giant cockpit and we seemed to drift away from the ground, I felt my eyes cross and my stomach tighten – a feeling akin to the kind of motion sickness I experience. I’ve already felt it in VR and on a roller coaster.
The 3D effect of a spinning globe made it appear as if it was filling the Sphere, while a closing fireworks display filled the sky with whistles, pops and bangs that reverberated through the seats. More intimate moments saw cameras zoom in on longtime Delta employees scattered throughout the audience, as Bastian paid tribute to their contributions over many years of flying.
Lenny Kravitz’s set also took advantage of the Sphere’s big screens.
Even before the keynote, which took Delta nearly a year to design and prepare, this event was the flagship event of CES – and as it turned out, it was deservedly so. Perhaps Delta’s frequent flyers would prefer that the airline invest that money in increasing legroom, but this often-cynical reporter was impressed by the spectacle, which left me more hope about technology than I otherwise would have at this rather lackluster technology show.
There was a stark contrast between the stuffy, iterative announcements and the heartfelt introductions from real Delta flight attendants, which, coupled with the multi-sensory nature of the event, left me feeling enveloped in the world from a bold, iconic brand that’s not afraid to fly. the show.
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