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Norwegian Swaps Its Instagram Logo to British Airways After World Cup Bet

A 24-hour profile swap turned a playful pre-match wager into a viral marketing moment that generated large audience reach and a targeted flash sale.

Overview

  • Norwegian Air replaced its Instagram profile picture with British Airways’ logo for 24 hours after England beat Norway 2-1 in the World Cup quarter-final on July 11, keeping a public bet the carriers made before the match.
  • The wager began with a July 8 Instagram challenge from Norwegian and was formalized by joint social posts and a staged handshake and USB exchange between employees to prove the deal.
  • British Airways responded with tongue-in-cheek posts and goodwill gestures, including offering to fly Norwegian’s social media team to London and posting celebratory video content.
  • Norwegian used the moment to run a flash sale and promo code, and its spokesperson said the posts reached tens of millions of people with overwhelmingly positive feedback.
  • The exchange drew widespread industry and public engagement, with many airlines joining the banter in comments and the stunt illustrating how sports moments can drive low-risk, high-reward brand visibility.