• by Tanya Gazdik , December 9, 2013

Turkish Airlines renews the rivalry between basketball star Kobe Bryant and soccer player Lionel Messi in a campaign.

At the recent debut of the TV spot, “Widen Your World,” Kobe participated in a charity basketball shootout and Turkish Airlines made a donation to the Kobe and Vanessa Bryant Family Foundation.  

The commercial emphasizes the global network of the airline. The two sports stars trade “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 Bryant. 

The rivalry began in December 2012 during the “Legends on Board” campaign, which was viewed 105 million times on YouTube. In the ad, the athletes did fun basketball tricks to compete for a child’s attention in flight. Ultimately, the child chose ice cream featured on Turkish Airlines’ gourmet menu onboard. 

“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, in a release. “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.”

Fatma Yuceler, general manager, Western USA of Turkish Airlines, said he believes the ad will be “a conduit to bringing increased global awareness to our airline while supporting us to further expand our network.”

The commercial was developed by Crispin Porter + Bogusky and produced by H S I Productions, with music by Beacon Street Studios. It will run in the U.S. and in more than 170 countries worldwide.