Norwegian Air Shuttle challenged British Airways to switch Instagram logos for one day if their respective team won the Norway vs England World Cup quarter-final match [1, 2, 3]. The bet was proposed on July 8 and accepted by British Airways on July 10, with both airlines confirming the wager on Instagram [1, 2, 3]. Norwegian Air’s Instagram post asked, “Ready to risk your logo? If Norway wins, you have to switch to our logo on Instagram on Sunday (one day). And vice versa. Deal?” British Airways replied, “Don’t make bets you can’t win,” before accepting: “Challenge accepted! Just don’t be surprised if we take the win at cruising altitude” [1].
The quarter-final match between Norway and England was scheduled either for July 11 according to some sources [1, 2] or July 12 at 5 p.m. ET according to others [3]. Norway reached the quarter-finals for the first time in 28 years, ranked 19th by FIFA, while England holds the 4th position [1, 2]. Norwegian Air Shuttle, Europe’s low-cost carrier and Scandinavia’s second largest airline, faced off playfully against British Airways, the UK’s flag carrier, in the social media banter leading up to the match [1, 3].
Other airlines such as Malaysia Airlines and Austrian Airlines joined the conversation with humorous comments on the bet [3]. Eivind Hammer Myhre, a spokesperson for Norwegian Air, said the wager idea came from their social media team and had received positive global attention. "But what wager is fun without risk? And we thought, what's the most visible thing we can bet? Our logo. From there, we created the post," he said, adding, "May the best Norwegian team win!" [3]
The outcome of the match will determine which airline swaps logos for a day on Instagram, marking a unique blend of sports and social media marketing tied to the World Cup quarter-final. The game’s scheduled date remains slightly unclear, but the result and logo swap are expected to take place shortly thereafter.
