Norwegian Air changed its logo on its Instagram profile after losing a bet to British Airways in connection with the World Cup.
The nature of the bet and the start of the dispute
The bet was simple: the airline whose national team lost in the quarter-final match between England and Norway in Miami on Saturday had to replace its Instagram profile logo with the winner's logo for one day. Norwegian Air initiated the exchange on July 8, asking: 'Are you ready to risk your logo? If Norway wins, you must switch to our logo on Instagram on Sunday. And vice versa. Agreed?'
Initially, British Airways responded: 'Don't place bets you cannot win.' Norwegian Air countered: 'Does that mean you are afraid?' To this, BA replied with a phrase that later backfired on its competitor: 'Afraid? Nor-way, mate.' On July 10, BA officially confirmed the deal, stating: 'Challenge accepted! Just don't be surprised if we are obsessed with victory at cruising altitude.'
Match results and consequences
Ultimately, England defeated Norway 2-1 after extra time. The match changed direction twice before concluding. Andreas Schjelderup put Norway ahead in the 36th minute, a lead that was maintained until Jude Bellingham equalized in stoppage time of the first half. Bellingham scored the winning goal again early in extra time, allowing England to advance to the semi-finals and Norwegian Air to remain in the fight.
Norway participated in its first World Cup quarter-final. Their last appearance in the tournament was in 1998, and Erling Haaland helped them reach it through their performance against Brazil in the Round of 16, which attracted the attention of the football world. England, ranked fourth in the FIFA rankings, was always considered the favorite, but Norway gave them serious problems throughout the ninety minutes leading up to extra time.
Fulfillment of the bet conditions
Norwegian Air fulfilled the terms of the bet. Its Instagram profile picture, which usually displays the airline's red nose logo, was replaced with the British Airways speed sign. Although using the rival's colors on its own feed feels like a kind of punishment, the condition was met. The exchange sparked a flurry of comments from football fans who admitted they were more interested in the airlines' bet than in the football itself. While brand boasting during major tournaments is not new, the stakes in this case were specific: logo for logo, and a public bet leaves no room for error upon defeat.
Norwegian Air has not yet specified how long the BA logo will be displayed on its Instagram profile.
