Peter Kafka

Recent Posts by Peter Kafka

Delta Celebrates FAA Gadget Sanity With a Viral YouTube Hit

The Federal Aviation Administration’s move to let people use their iPhones and Kindles while planes are taking off and landing — like they’re already doing, anyway — isn’t just good news for travelers. It was an opportunity for Delta’s social media team to strut their stuff.

The FAA announced the change on Thursday.* Today, Delta put this up on YouTube:

I’m not exactly sure that I would want to associate my airline with a clip that featured a crying kid for 30 seconds. But it’s probably a better fit than, “My kid came back from dental surgery and he is totally stoned. Check it out!

I’m a reasonably close YouTube watcher, but I have to confess that I didn’t recognize the source material for this one, even though Delta spells it out (and presumably has compensated the people who own the source material). It’s “Lily’s Disneyland Surprise,” which has generated 13 million views in the last two years.

Thanks to Skift for pointing it out.

* In my filter bubble, this is referred to as the “Bilton Rule.”

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