British Airways and Norwegian have captured the internet’s attention with a playful bet ahead of the World Cup clash, entertaining football supporters and frequent flyers alike.
The excitement surrounding the FIFA World Cup has spilled far beyond the football pitch, with airlines joining in the rivalry through a light-hearted social media exchange.
Ahead of England’s highly anticipated clash with Norway on July 12 at 1am UAE time, British Airways and Norwegian have generated online buzz after striking a playful wager that has delighted football fans and travellers alike.
The wager is straightforward: whichever team loses Saturday’s World Cup showdown will see its national airline replace its Instagram profile logo with that of its rival for 24 hours.
The friendly challenge began when Norwegian tagged British Airways on Instagram, writing: “If Norway wins, you have to switch to our logo on Instagram on Sunday (one day). And vice versa. Deal?”
British Airways quickly accepted the challenge with a confident response: “Don’t make bets you can’t win.”
Take a look at the light-hearted exchange between the two airlines below.
The light-hearted exchange didn’t end there. British Airways followed up with another playful post, tagging Norwegian and teasing that it had “something to say.”
Norwegian was quick to respond, writing: “We have something to tell you too. Check our last post,” before directing followers back to its original challenge: “Will you take the bet?”
After briefly keeping followers in suspense, British Airways officially accepted the challenge, replying: “Hey there. Challenge accepted! Just don’t be surprised if we take the win at cruising altitude.”
Norwegian welcomed the response with a playful reply of its own: “Love the confidence. Check your DMs for the logo swap.”
Keeping the playful rivalry alive, Norwegian recently shared an image bearing the words: “It’s on.”
Since then, the playful exchange has gained widespread attention on social media, drawing responses from airlines, airports and aviation brands that have joined in the friendly banter through the comments.
The playful wager soon spread beyond the aviation industry, inspiring other organisations to join in the fun. Among them was the Church of Norway, which challenged the Church of England to a similar friendly bet.
In an Instagram Reel, Den norske kirke — the Norwegian name for the Church of Norway — tagged the Church of England and asked: “Ready to risk your logo?”
The Church of England joined the playful exchange with a confident response of its own, saying: “We know our logo will look great on you.”
Check out the friendly back-and-forth below:
Now, attention turns to the World Cup showdown between England and Norway. The result will not only decide the winner on the football pitch but also determine whether British Airways keeps its signature Instagram logo or replaces it with Norwegian’s branding for 24 hours.
The match will also decide which church — the Church of England or the Church of Norway — gets the chance to carry out its own playful logo swap.
