Messi becomes THY’s new brand ambassador

Argentina’s star football striker Lionel Messi has become the newest “global brand ambassador” of the Turkish national carrier Turkish Airlines (THY).
The world-class striker signed a contract with THY on Thursday at a ceremony held at Barcelona’s Camp Nou Stadium to promote the THY brand.
Speaking after signing the contract, Messi said it was a great honor for him to be the new brand ambassador of THY, one of the fastest growing airlines in the world and named Europe’s best airline in 2011 and 2012 by Skytrax.
İsmail Gerçek, a THY executive who was in attendance at the ceremony, noted the carrier’s two-year win as Europe’s best airline and expressed contentment with his company signing a contract with the “world-renowned footballer.”
As part of the contract, Messi will star in a THY commercial with Los Angeles Lakers star Kobe Bryant which will feature cooperative play by teams from Turkey, the Netherlands, Britain, Spain and the United States. The commercial will go on air at the end of the year. Messi is also expected to attend various THY events.
In September THY extended its global brand ambassador contract with Bryant for an additional two years. 
 

Headquartered in İstanbul, THY operates scheduled routes to 41 domestic and 150 international destinations. The airline’s wide range of destinations follows an aggressive expansion effort that began in 2010.