Delta Air Lines is the leading U.S. legacy carrier. Driven by core principles of being Innovative, Thoughtful and Reliable, Delta strives to improve the flyer’s experience in a very imperfect industry.

At the top of Delta’s 165 million annual passengers are 2 million elite members of Delta’s SkyMiles loyalty program. Every year Delta sends them a direct mail package containing their Medallion credentials.

Typically, loyalty program materials reinforce what the company wants you to know about their program. But Medallion members are on our planes constantly, and know the SkyMiles program better than we do.

So we turned that company-first approach completely around, instead telling our Medallion member all about them.

We created content that brought the miles they flew to life. Using data we collected from their flight activity, we humanized it to tell their story.

Infographics for each level translated the miles they flew (25k, 50k, 75k, 125k) into other accomplishments and extremes. And, showcasing the most impressive stats regarding longevity and exclusivity reinforced just how special they are.

To combat the “remove cards and toss” problem, a reinvented roll-fold format made them to go through the entire piece to collect their gifts as they went.

Did we succeed at getting our extremely busy Medallion audience to read their mail? In a word, absolutely.

These beautiful, aviation-inspired illustrations and maps brought data to life in a creative and personal way, and turned a typical direct mail piece into an air-warrior’s keepsake.

99% of Medallion members surveyed said they opened their DM package. And 70% said they actually read it AND found it interesting. There was also higher recall and retention of the package components year-over-year.

Social buzz was positive, with many Medallion members taking photos of their package, boasting about their impressive stats within their network.