Didier Drogba scores goal with Turkish Airlines ad

“In the past we looked to the West and the East for inspiration and prosperity. But now, I look back home to Africa, a vibrant continent full of passionate people with pride and raw energy.  And now we have something much more powerful: ambition and belief.

“When I look at Africa I see wonderful possibilities for everyone. Africa is the future. Discover Africa with us,” said footballing legend Drogba, about shooting on his own continent for the latest Turkish Airlines advertising campaign.

The campaign showcases Turkish Airlines’ continued commitment to Africa, with the airline, now flying to 51 destinations in 33 countries across the continent.

Kenan Ince, general manager for Turkish Airlines in South Africa, said, “Our investment in Africa has been a strong element of our strategy especially in recent years. Didier Drogba’s words summarise our reasons for our continued expansion into the continent.

“Turkish Airlines sees a bright future for Africa, and since we support emerging economies we’ll continue to offer competitively-priced travel to more destinations in Africa than any other airline.”

As Drogba himself said in a post about the campaign on Facebook , “In the past Africa was shown as synonym of poverty and war - today Africa is showing a different face. Investors keep coming, startups are created, entrepreneurs stand out, and many of our countries are emerging. Africa is the destination; Africa is the future.”

Ince added: “In this film we aim to reflect these sides of Africa with Didier Drogba. Turkish Airlines’ ambition is to demonstrate the current developments in Africa in business, culture, arts, technology and more which prove the continent’s obvious progress bursting with endless opportunity.”

The advert was first aired during the Africa Cup, on January 23, 2017.