Turkish Airlines and Skyscanner teamed up to capitalise on the peak season moment with a multi-format campaign, driving high engagement and brand visibility across UK & US audiences.
Background
Turkish Airlines partnered with Skyscanner to find smarter, more expressive ways to bring more brand identity to life and stand out in a crowded landscape without relying on discounts. Rather than competing on price, the airline set its sights on building an emotional connection, sparking interest, and capturing hearts and itineraries amongst UK and US travellers on Skyscanner’s platform.
Solution
Capitalising on the peak season moment
To capitalise on one of the busiest booking periods of the year, Skyscanner created an innovative brand-focused campaign for Turkish Airlines that centred on compelling storytelling, eye-catching placements, and creating an engaging moment that would capture travellers’ attention and linger beyond the usual online scroll. The campaign aimed at reaching high-intent travellers at the peak of seasonal interest, transforming awareness into bookings just as the Black Friday booking surge was gathering momentum. The three-week campaign combined a captivating competition with a multi-format media strategy, delivered exclusively through Skyscanner’s owned channels.
Engaging travellers with storytelling and culture
At the core was a bespoke landing page featuring a simple, one-question quiz with an enticing grand prize: two return flights to Istanbul. This activation supported Turkish Airlines’ wider goal of driving direct consideration for Istanbul as a destination, while reinforcing the airline’s position as Europe’s premier carrier. To complete the quiz, users engaged with a rich cultural article that vividly brought Istanbul to life—highlighting everything from its bustling night markets and panoramic rooftop views to historic streets and hidden speakeasies. Central to the campaign’s success was the power of storytelling as a conversion tool. The dedicated landing page served not only as a promotional hub but also as a curated narrative that invited travellers to dream of Istanbul’s vibrant culture. In an era overwhelmed with content, such evocative storytelling plays a critical role in shifting travellers from passive browsers to active bookers.
Turkish Airline's landing page on Skyscanner.
An immersive multi-format brand experience
The initiative was amplified across multiple high-impact placements, including homepage hero banners, display ads, paid social content, affiliate promotions, and targeted emails, all orchestrated to immerse travellers in a seamless brand experience. By surrounding audiences with consistent messaging across diverse formats, Turkish Airlines maximised both visibility and engagement throughout the traveller’s decision-making process. This integrated media approach demonstrated how coordinated, multi-channel campaigns outperform isolated tactics, driving superior impressions, clicks, and conversions.
Delivering short-term wins with long-term impact
Despite its relatively short duration of three weeks, the campaign delivered impressive results: a 38% YoY increase in searches for Istanbul, a 500% higher click-through rate compared to benchmarks, nearly three million travellers reached, and over 4.6 million impressions generated. Additionally, post-campaign re-engagement efforts using exclusive promo codes successfully converted initial enthusiasm into actual bookings, underscoring the importance of extending campaign value beyond the active period.
Sponsored Posts on Skyscanner’s Facebook where standout creative delivered CTRs up to 6x benchmark.
The results
“This was a standout campaign for us. We saw strong engagement, meaningful reach, and a clear lift in interest for Istanbul. Even with the tight timelines, we embraced the challenge and saw it as an opportunity to innovate. By working hand-in-hand with the Skyscanner team, we turned Black Friday into more than a campaign — it became an engaging experience that opened the door to new audiences and showcased the spirit of Turkish Airlines.”
Murat Şahin, Online Product Development Manager, Turkish Airlines
Key takeaways
- Short-term campaigns can spark long-term brand lift. This three-week burst didn’t just perform in the moment, it created a lasting shift in brand visibility and traveller consideration. With smart placement and a strong hook, even a short window can build durable brand equity.
- A single high-value prize can fuel massive engagement. A simple one-question quiz and a standout reward drove over 13,800 entries. Relevance mattered more than complexity. Keep it easy, on-theme, and aspirational.
- Owned media + multi-format = maximum visibility. By tapping into Skyscanner’s homepage banners, display ads, email, social, and affiliate placements, Turkish Airlines reached 2.9M travellers and generated 4.6M+ impressions. Don’t silo your efforts, surround your audience.
- Storytelling converts browsers into dreamers. The campaign’s dedicated landing page didn’t just promote a prize. It painted a portrait of Istanbul that stirred wanderlust from rooftop bars to ruins. Travel storytelling is powerful branding, especially when paired with strong visuals and a clear CTA.
WATCH NOW - Turkish Airlines Boosts ROAS by 250% with Skyscanner
Skyscanner’s Commercial Lead, Mike Reynolds joined Turkish Airlines’ Murat Şahin, Online Product Development Manager and Mesut Cemal Sayiner, Global Meta Key Account Manager for a deep dive discussion on the advertising partnership, watch now.
Final boarding call
Turkish Airlines didn’t just fly past the noise, they landed squarely in the consideration set of thousands of UK and US travellers. A smart mix of creative formats, tactical re-engagement, and high-value incentives made this campaign a high-flying success. With the right message, placed at the right time, and a little help from Skyscanner Ads, even a short-term push can deliver long-term lift.
Want to create a moment like this? Reach out to us about our Black Friday packages.
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