Acclaimed filmmaker Ridley Scott has teamed up with Turkish Airlines to direct a cinematic short film set in Istanbul, where East and West meet. “THE JOURNEY”, the story of a chase across the city’s iconic landmarks was shown at Super Bowl LIII on February 3, paying homage to the ancient city of Istanbul, the airline’s hub for 85 years, spanning the continents of Europe and Asia. The 30-second commercial was featured in the first quarter of the most watched sporting event on the global calendar amongst a line up of some of the world’s most recognisable brands, while the six minute cinematic short film version launched simultaneously via Turkish Airlines’ YouTube channel. 

 

As the first Turkish brand to advertise at the Super Bowl, Turkish Airlines has been delighting audiences  with its inspiring and original commercials since 2016.  Turkish Airlines debuted “Batman v Superman” campaign with the leading role played by Ben Affleck in 2016, “Widen Your Wold” campaign in which Morgan Freeman invited the global audience to widen their world in 2017, “Five Senses” campaign fronted by Dr. Oz who explored the wonders of the world through five senses visiting some of the most unique places around the globe that Turkish Airlines flies to in 2018.  

 

M. İlker Aycı, Turkish Airlines Chairman of the Board and the Executive Committee, commented: “When viewers tuned into the Super Bowl on Sunday they were treated to a stunning portrayal of Istanbul in this thrilling film from Ridley Scott. We invite travelers around the world to join us on our journey and experience true Turkish hospitality at our brand new home at Istanbul Airport .” 

 

Director and Producer Ridley Scott said: “Istanbul is an inspiring city to build a story around with  its beautiful topography surrounded by water. The city is a powerful backdrop to the story that brings together the main characters in an exciting and spectacular way, much as Istanbul has done for generations.”

 

Scott directed his first commercial in 15 years, and RSA Films produced, to mark the opening of Istanbul Airport, the new home of Turkish Airlines. “THE JOURNEY” showcases Istanbul as the hub of Turkish Airlines and the new center of aviation for global travelers, which will be the world’s largest aviation hub with an annual capacity of 200 million passengers. Flying to more countries than any other airline, Turkish Airlines currently connects 306 destinations in 124 countries, which will expand as it moves its hub from the current Istanbul Ataturk Airport to the newly opened Istanbul Airport. 

 

Sylvia Hoeks, known for her role in Blade Runner 2049, plays the leading role alongside key Istanbul sights such as Çırağan Palace, Basilica Cistern, Ortaköy Square and Istanbul Airport.  Istanbul Airport hosted the shooting with a cast of 250 people while the film in total starred 500 actors. The scenes at the airport portray Turkish Airlines’ cabin crew wearing their new uniforms as well as innovations in inflight cabin design. 

 

 The British director, known for unforgettable film classics such as Alien (1979), Blade Runner (1982), Thelma and Louise (1991), and Gladiator (2000), as well as recent hit The Martian (2015), has had ongoing success both on the big screen as well as directing commercials. The four-time Academy Award nominee has directed an estimated 2700 commercials including the famous commercials created for world’s giant commercial brands.

 

Four promotional versions and a six-minute cinematic short film were created as well as a behind-the-scenes special that details the entire experience including interviews with the director and cast. Previous high profile Turkish Airlines collaborations include sports stars Lionel Messi and Kobe Bryant, actor Morgan Freeman and Kevin Costner, and “THE JOURNEY” stars actresses Sylvia Hoeks and Aure Atika.