The “Island” advert by British Airways was released in 1983. It showed a desert island where people spelled out the word “BA” before being rescued by a plane. The idea was to show that British Airways could reach people anywhere in the world. The island was not in the tropics, as many viewers believed. It was actually filmed in the Seychelles, chosen for its dramatic beaches and clear skies that looked almost unreal on film. The people forming the letters were not all actors. Many were local res