Norwegian Air has temporarily changed its Instagram profile logo to that of British Airways after losing a friendly social media wager following England’s victory over Norway in the FIFA World Cup quarter-finals. The light-hearted challenge, which quickly gained traction online, saw the two airlines agree that the carrier representing the losing team’s country would replace its Instagram profile picture with the winner’s logo for 24 hours.
How the bet unfolded
The wager began on July 8, when Norwegian Air challenged British Airways on Instagram ahead of the England-Norway quarter-final in Miami. Under the terms of the bet, the losing airline would adopt the winning airline’s Instagram logo for a day.
After England defeated Norway 2-1 on Saturday to book a place in the semi-finals, Norwegian Air honoured its promise by replacing its profile picture with the British Airways logo.
The airline also shared a post featuring the British Airways emblem alongside the message: “It’s coming home” and “Well played, England & British Airways.”
In the accompanying caption, Norwegian Air wrote, “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!”
Airfare sale after the loss
The social media wager also translated into a promotional campaign. Following the defeat, Norwegian Air announced a 48-hour flash sale on routes connecting Norway and the United Kingdom, offering discounted fares as part of the friendly rivalry between the two airlines.
British Airways responds
British Airways acknowledged the challenge with a playful post on Instagram, thanking Norwegian Air for participating.
“Rivals for 90 minutes, friends forever. A little competition keeps things interesting, thanks for challenging us @flynorwegian! Well done to the England team on qualifying for the World Cup semi-finals! It’s coming home!” the airline wrote.
Other airlines join the fun
The exchange also drew reactions from several airlines and aviation brands. Malaysia Airlines joked, “Respect to @flynorwegian! Most airlines need six months and 14 approvals to change a logo.”
BLR Airport added, “Safe to say, the logo made it through security.”
Kenya Airways commented, “Well played @flynorwegian and @british_airways.”
Meanwhile, Virgin Australia described the exchange as “The crossover episode we all enjoyed.”
England vs. Argentina
With the quarter-final victory, England has advanced to the FIFA World Cup semi-finals, where it will face Argentina at Atlanta Stadium as it continues its campaign for the title.