Haaland sues airline over World Cup ad featuring his ponytail
Norwegian football star Erling Haaland has filed a lawsuit against airline Norwegian, accusing it of unlawfully using his image in marketing during this summer's World Cup. A meeting between the parties is set for October 9 in Oslo.
Norway striker Erling Haaland, 26, has filed a lawsuit against the airline Norwegian Air Shuttle, several German media outlets report, citing Norwegian newspaper "Verdens Gang" (VG). The claim was filed at Oslo District Court by Haaland's lawyer, Thomas Hagen, on behalf of the player and his British company, York Promotions Ltd.
What the dispute is about
According to the lawyer, the case concerns Norwegian's allegedly unlawful use of Haaland's trademark or characteristic features in marketing flight tickets during the World Cup. The exact material in question has not been disclosed publicly, but VG found that a post had disappeared from the airline's Instagram account: a photo-edited image of a Norwegian aircraft fitted with Haaland's then-signature blond ponytail, captioned with words to the effect of "We've never looked so Norwegian." Haaland has since cut his hair short.
Airline's response
Norwegian confirmed it had received the lawsuit. The company said that, like much of Norway, it had cheered on the national team over the summer through a few spontaneous posts based on social-media trends, and said it regretted that this support had been answered with a lawsuit. It added that it hoped for a reasonable dialogue so it could continue supporting the country's sports heroes in future. Notably, sources differ on the name of the airline's spokesperson: Bild and t-online cite press officer Eivind Hammer Myhre, while n-tv quotes spokeswoman Catharina Solli.
Court proceedings
Per VG, a meeting between the two parties — described as a planning session — is scheduled at Oslo District Court on October 9.
Background
The dispute follows Norway's surprise run to the World Cup quarter-finals this summer, its first World Cup appearance since 1998. The team lost 1-2 after extra time to an England side coached by Thomas Tuchel. Haaland scored seven goals in five matches at the tournament and remains the squad's talisman.
