The new marketing campaign, launched on Friday (February 1), features actors such as Gary Oldman, Olivia Colman and Riz Ahmed, alongside sporting personalities including heavyweight boxing champion Anthony Joshua and England rugby player Chris Robshaw. Pop star Paloma Faith and artist Grayson Perry also make appearances.

They are taking part in a new advert, entitled British Airways. Made By Britain, where they discuss what they think makes Britain so great during a special centenary flight, BA100.

The advert, which airs for the first time on Friday evening, also features customers, cabin crew, pilots and engineers as they prepare for the special flight. It will be aired on TV, video-on-demand and cinema, and across social media.

Carolina Martinoli, British Airways’ director of brand and customer experience, said: “This campaign is about thanking the amazing people who fly with us, work with us and partner with us. 

“As it’s our 100th birthday, we plan to make this year very special for all of them – past and present – which is underpinned by our ongoing £6.5 billion investment programme to deliver new aircraft, cabins, service and destinations.

“Our airline has been forged over 100 years. As we are inherently made by Britain, it’s fitting that our campaign captures and celebrates everything great about our home nation.” 

BA is also organising a range of other activities and events for the centenary including painting aircraft in the liveries of the airline’s forerunners, such as BOAC’s colours on a Boeing 747.

Another project sees the airline working with experts on compiling a list of BA’s 100 Great Britons, which will identify people around the UK who are “currently shaping modern Britain”.