Stock photography, like any commercial industry, has a diversity problem.
Because our voices and visibility matter, Delta Airlines is a company committed to showing the diversity among travelers worldwide, with its ‘Faces of Travel’ initiative.
This past Wednesday, the airline announced a partnership with computer software company Adobe, releasing a series of stock images to combat the lack of diversity in travel advertising. The digital library, “Faces of Travel” includes 100 stock images that represents a more “inclusive and accurate view” of travelers of color worldwide.
Studies show that when marginalized groups aren’t able to see themselves in the media, it has a drastic and negative impact on their ideas of self-worth.
“Faces of Travel was designed to better reflect the diverse customers we see on our planes every day and ensure they feel seen and heard in broader travel culture,” says Shannon Womack, Delta’s Director of Lifecycle Marketing.
“The importance of this initiative goes beyond Delta, and we want to encourage others to take part in this movement because we know that it will take all of us to truly reflect the faces of travel.”
Delta and Adobe worked with Black-owned creative agency Kin and photographer Seo Ju Park to create 100 dynamic images which are reflective of a more inclusive view of what travelers look like.
Adobe amplified the collection to its 3 million users, making this diverse and inclusive imagery widely accessible to content creators, journalists and others in the industry. The 100-image library is available for free to the public via Adobe Stock.