I don’t watch the Super Bowl for the halftime show, commercials, or the game itself, but I do look forward to the annual Turkish Airlines ad. This year, however, an ad from Turkish Airlines was conspicuously missing. But as thousands of bodies continue to be pulled out of the rubble after a devastating earthquake, a Turkish Airlines Super Bowl LVII ad probably would not have been in good taste.
No Turkish Airlines Super Bowl LVII Ad
The death toll in Turkey and Syria from the devastating 7.8-magnitude earthquake has grown to 33,000, with aid agencies on the ground warning the final number may be more than double that. It is a sobering reminder of the fragility of life and the sad reality that cutting corners to save on building costs is a deadly gamble.
As the flag carrier of Turkey, Turkish Airlines is extensively involved in efforts to evacuate displaced residents from danger zones and has already operated hundreds of rescue flights over the last week. It is also offering Miles & Smiles members an opportunity to use their miles to support victims and rebuilding efforts:
Within the scope of the “Earthquake Aid Rally”, you can use your Miles to support our citizens in the disaster-stricken areas with Miles&Smiles program partner LC Waikiki. We will double the amount of your LC Waikiki Support Card you convert your Miles into.
Click for details 👇
— Turkish Airlines (@TurkishAirlines) February 11, 2023
With that backdrop, it is quite understandable (indeed, even proper) that we failed to see a Turkish Airlines ad for Super Bowl LVII. Another soaring ad featuring Morgan Freeman touting Turkish Airlines as the airline that connects the world is always a joy to watch…but this week would have felt strangely inappropriate.
It is not clear if Turkish Airlines pulled its ad or simply chose not to run one this year (ads are often purchased up to a year in advance), but its annual ad was certainly, but understandably, missed.
CONCLUSION
As I continue my Middle East trip report, I’ll soon be reviewing a pair of Turkish Airlines flights. It has been many years since I have had a bad Turkish Airlines flight and I greatly missed a Super Bowl ad from Turkish Airlines this year. But as Turkey recovers from a great tragedy, any ad may have become a distraction from such efforts or criticized as being in bad taste. Hopefully, Turkish Airlines will return with a new ad next year.
It would be really tone-deaf if they aired an ad especially after this tragedy, so I don’t think it’s all that surprising.
I wish you also donated to the relief efforts, and shared some links to those: https://donate.tpfund.org/campaign/tpf-turkiye-earthquake/c465112
What makes you think I haven’t?