In what’s being hailed as one of the best social media marketing stunts in recent times, Norwegian was forced to change its Instagram logo to British Airways after Norway lost to England in the World Cup quarter-finals on Saturday.
In a post before the match, Norwegian publicly challenged British Airways to a bet: “Hey @british_airways, do you wanna make a bet? 👀🇳🇴🏴 If Norway wins, you have to switch to our logo on Instagram on Sunday (one day). And vice versa. Deal?”
British Airways played it coy at first, before eventually accepting the challenge. “Don’t make bets you can’t win 😉,” the airline responded on Instagram.
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A representative from Norwegian even flew to the UK to hand-deliver a USB drive containing the logo to British Airways’ head office.
“The handshake has officially been delivered at @british_airways HQ 🤝,” flynorwegian posted.
Other airlines soon piled onto the thread. Virgin Australia commented “May the best logo win,” while Malaysia Airlines chimed in: “We’ll be watching with our satay in one hand and signature drink in the other 🍹.” Austrian Airlines added: “You two fight over the logo. We’ll bring the Schnitzel.”
When England beat Norway on Saturday morning, Norwegian kept its word, briefly swapping its main grid logo for British Airways’.
“While the tournament is over for us, this friendly bet will forever live in all our hearts ❤️ We wish England and @british_airways all the best in the semi-final, and we sincerely hope you’ll get to bring football home!”
“Felt cute, might delete later,” Qantas commented on the post.
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Riding the wave of attention, Norwegian launched a flash sale in the wake of the loss: “Since we lost yesterday’s bet we’re offering a flash sale on all Norwenglish destinations, use code: FBALLCOMINGHOME.” The airline followed up with a recap of the whole saga on its social channels.
Despite the quarter-final exit, Norway’s World Cup run – its first appearance in the tournament since 1998 – has sparked a noticeable jump in interest in the destination.
Even before the soccer, Norway has become a key beneficiary of the “coolcation” trend, as travellers swap increasingly hot Mediterranean summers for cooler northern escapes, with rental car company Sixt forecasting Scandinavian travel could climb as much as 35 per cent in 2026. Trip.com
Star player Erling Haaland has only added to the country’s profile, with his Instagram fame and the team’s viral “Viking Row” chant turning almost every post into an unofficial tourism ad. He has leaned into the Viking heritage, posting a picture of himself as a Viking.
Cruise company Viking leant into the new-found interest in Norway, posting members of its team doing the ‘row’ to its Facebook page.
