Our creative idea was to throw a dance party where guests wear headphones to hear music rather than broadcast it from traditional speakers. But a silent disco alone isn’t enough—we needed a DJ who could move the needle for our target market, and a holistic activation that would attract a crowd of social influencers to share the news.

We created a boarding list of popular media figures and social influencers who we thought would share this one-of-a-kind experience with their followers. The plan: Whisk them off from Manhattan to JFK, where they would be greeted at the gate with cocktails and appetizers. Then, once in the air, world-renowned DJ Questlove and music producer/emcee Yameen Allworld would get guests on their feet and dancing. As we brought passengers back down, we could say that we’d done something truly unique: hosted a dance party at 30,000 feet over the Eastern seaboard.

Attendees gathered at New York’s South Street Seaport not knowing what was ahead—they had been invited to an “exclusive experience.” On their private VIP shuttle to JFK, they enjoyed a game of trivia with airline vouchers as prizes. Once there, guests were “backdoored” through security and gathered at the gate for a party with food, cocktails, a photo booth and dancing. After check-in was complete, guests boarded the plane.

Once the vessel hit 30,000 feet, celebrity DJ Questlove surprised everyone by dropping the beat. Passengers were instructed to don their headphones. Fun ensued, cocktails flowed and music played throughout the flight—but was only audible on the LSTN headphones connected to Delta’s in-flight entertainment system.

There were challenges: Planning and approvals—such as securing wireless distribution technology approval from the FAA—were significant initial headaches. Once we got the go ahead, our on-the-ground execution had to be flawless.

The Silent Disco wasn’t designed to drive revenue or sales—it was meant to create conversation, capture attention and demonstrate the value of each brand, and it did just that. The passengers were blown away and the press coverage was phenomenal. The stunt received more than 48 million impressions and more than 150,000 social engagements, and was deemed a huge success for the brands involved. The night was documented by guests, influencers and Questlove using #DeltaSilentDisco. Questlove posted 10 organic stories to his 1 million Instagram followers.

And while these numbers were impressive, we were even more pleased by the execution of the experience. It perfectly met our goals of promoting both brands in a natural way and delivering a “wow” factor that appealed to Delta’s sought-after millennial market.

Through its LSTN partnership, Delta supported Starkey Hearing Foundation, which provides ear care and hearing aids to those in need.