Turkish Airlines Unveils New Lionel Messi & Kobe Bryant Ad Campaign

Global airline Turkish Airlines has today unveiled a new advertising campaign, “Widen Your World,” featuring a new commercial from global brand ambassadors and international sports megastars Kobe Bryant and Lionel Messi..

In the commercial Kobe and Messi resume their friendly rivalry by trading “selfies” from exotic locations, such as the Red Square in Moscow; The Great Wall of China; the Maldives; Bangkok; and Mount Kilimanjaro, all of which are destinations Turkish Airlines flies to. Throughout the commercial, the competitive athletes are seen at various airports consulting the airline’s destination boards for their flights. In the ad’s final shot, Messi takes a “selfie” in Sultanahmet Square in Istanbul—only to be photobombed by Kobe.

“We’re excited to continue our relationship with Kobe Bryant and Lionel Messi to heighten awareness of the many benefits of Turkish Airlines around the world, such as our award-winning cuisine, wide global network and unsurpassed service,” says Faruk Cizmecioglu, chief marketing officer at Turkish Airlines. “Just as these two men are at the top of their games, so too is Turkish Airlines, which now travels to 241 global destinations and counting.”

“We are thrilled with our latest collaboration with Kobe and Messi highlighting why Turkish Airlines is considered to be one of the best in the world,” says Fatma Yuceler, general manager, Western USA, at Turkish Airlines. “The commercial showcases through a playful spin on ‘selfies’ the numerous global destinations Turkish Airlines flies to and our commitment to serving our passengers in more countries than any other airline. I believe this ad will be a conduit to bringing increased global awareness to our airline while supporting us further expand our network.”

The new commercial builds upon last year’s viral “Kobe vs. Messi” ad, which has been viewed more than 105 million times to date on YouTube.