CULTURE AND BRAND IN THE SKY: AN ANALYSIS OF TURKISH AIRLINES PROMOTIONAL VIDEOS

Yıl 2026, Cilt: 16 Sayı: 1, 555 - 575, 01.01.2026

Nagihan Çakar , Banu Müge İşeri

https://doi.org/10.7456/tojdac.1802309

Öz

Globalization has transformed airline companies from mere commercial transportation providers into "cultural ambassadors" that convey their countries' cultural values and national image to the world. This study aims to analyze the promotional videos published by Turkish Airlines (THY), Turkey's flag carrier, between 2015 and 2025 through content analysis, focusing on cultural representations and brand messages. The research examines the evolution of THY's brand communication strategy over a decade, how it combines national and global identity elements, and which themes it prioritizes. Based on a qualitative research design, videos selected through purposive sampling were thematically analyzed. Findings indicate that in the initial years (2015-2016), with videos like "Vazgeçme" (Don't Give Up) and "Şimdi Ne Güzeldir" (How Beautiful It Is Now), THY focused on messages of national pride and belonging through themes such as family, solidarity, and longing for one's homeland. In the subsequent period (2017-2021), it was determined that the brand strengthened its emphasis on global service by addressing themes of universal exploration, global connectivity, and uniting people in productions like "Go Beyond," "#StepOnEarth," and "Pangea". In recent years (2022-2025), it is observed that the brand has adopted a more integrated strategy by synthesizing Turkey's cultural and historical heritage ("A Timeless Adventure with Every Flight") and its claim to leadership in Europe ("The Best in Europe") with its global service quality. The study reveals how THY contributes to Turkey's nation-branding and positions itself as a cultural ambassador through its promotional videos.

Anahtar Kelimeler

Turkish Airlines , Cultural Representation , Brand Messages

GÖKYÜZÜNDE KÜLTÜR VE MARKA: TÜRK HAVA YOLLARI TANITIM VİDEOLARI ÜZERİNE BİR ANALİZ

Öz

Küreselleşme, havayolu şirketlerini yalnızca ulaşım hizmeti sunan ticari kuruluşlar olmaktan çıkarıp, ülkelerinin kültürel değerlerini ve ulus imajını dünyaya aktaran “kültürel elçiler” haline getirmiştir. Bu çalışma, Türkiye'nin bayrak taşıyıcı havayolu olan Türk Hava Yolları'nın (THY) 2015–2025 yılları arasında yayımlanan tanıtım videolarını, kültürel temsiller ve marka mesajları bağlamında içerik analizi yöntemiyle incelemeyi amaçlamaktadır. Araştırma, THY'nin marka iletişim stratejisinin on yıllık süreçteki evrimini, ulusal ve küresel kimlik unsurlarını nasıl birleştirdiğini ve hangi temaları ön plana çıkardığını analiz etmektedir. Nitel araştırma desenine dayanan çalışmada, amaçlı örnekleme ile seçilen videolar tematik olarak incelenmiştir. Bulgular, THY'nin ilk yıllarda (2015-2016) “Vazgeçme” ve “Şimdi Ne Güzeldir” gibi videolarla aile, dayanışma, memleket özlemi gibi temalar üzerinden ulusal gurur ve aidiyet mesajlarına odaklandığını göstermektedir. İlerleyen dönemde (2017-2021) ise “Go Beyond”, “#StepOnEarth” ve “Pangea” gibi yapımlarla evrensel keşif, küresel bağlantı ve insanları birleştirme gibi temaları işleyerek markanın global hizmet vurgusunu güçlendirdiği tespit edilmiştir. Son yıllarda (2022-2025) yayımlanan videolarda ise markanın, Türkiye'nin kültürel ve tarihi mirasını (“A Timeless Adventure with Every Flight”) ve Avrupa'daki liderlik iddiasını (“Avrupa’nın En İyisi”) küresel hizmet kalitesiyle sentezleyerek daha bütüncül bir strateji benimsediği görülmektedir. Çalışma, THY'nin tanıtım videoları aracılığıyla Türkiye'nin ulus markalaşmasına nasıl katkı sağladığını ve kendisini kültürel bir elçi olarak nasıl konumlandırdığını ortaya koymaktadır.

Anahtar Kelimeler

Türk Hava Yolları , Kültürel Temsil , Marka Mesajları

Kaynakça

• Adiloglu-Yalcinkaya, L., & BESLER, S., (2021). Institutional factors influencing business models: The case of Turkish Airlines. Journal Of Air Transport Management , vol.91.
• Anholt, S. (2010). Places: Identity, image and reputation. Palgrave Macmillan.
• Craig, C. S., & Douglas, S. P. (2006). Beyond national culture: Implications of cultural dynamics for consumer research. International Marketing Review, 23(3), 322–342. https://doi.org/10.1108/02651330610670479
• De Mooij, M. (2019). Global marketing and advertising: Understanding cultural paradoxes (5th ed.). Sage Publications.
• De Mooij, M., & Hofstede, G. (2010). The Hofstede model: Applications to global branding and advertising strategy and research. International Journal of Advertising, 29(1), 85–110.
• Dinnie, K. (2015). Nation Branding: Concepts, Issues, Practice (2nd ed.). Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315773612 Hall, S. (1997). Representation: Cultural Representations and Signifying Practices. London: Sage.
• Hofstede, G. (2005). Cultures and organizations: Software of the mind (2nd ed.). McGraw-Hill.
• Hu, Q. (2025). Consumer Trust, Social Media Interaction, and Psychological Mechanisms in Brand Communication. Global Research in Humanities and Social Sciences, 4(1), 1-15. https://grhas.centraluniteduniversity.de/index.php/files/article/view/brand-communication-new-media
• O’Shaughnessy, J., & O’Shaughnessy, N. J. (2000). Persuasion in Advertising. London: Routledge.
• Özcan, Ş. (2021). Türk Hava Yolları’nın 85. Yıl Reklamı Üzerine Bir Söylem Analizi. İletişim Çalışmaları Dergisi, 7(2), 53–72.
• Kavaratzis, M., & Hatch, M. J. (2013). The dynamics of place brands: An identity-based approach to place branding theory. Marketing Theory, 13(1), 69–86.
• Keller, K. L. (2013). Strategic Brand Management: Building, Measuring, and Managing Brand Equity. 4th ed. Harlow: Pearson.
• Kotabe, M., & Helsen, K. (2020). Global marketing management (8th ed.). Wiley.
• Krippendorff, K. (2018). Content analysis: An introduction to its methodology (4th ed.). SAGE Publications.
• Leavitt, T. (1983) The Globalization of Markets. Harvard Business Reviews, 61, 92-102.
• Okazaki, S., Taylor, C. R., & Doh, J. P. (2010). Globalization and advertising research: An overview of issues and trends. International Journal of Advertising, 29(1), 5–13.
• Patton, M. Q. (2002). Qualitative research & evaluation methods (3rd ed.). SAGE Publications.
• Prados-Peña, M. B., Crespo-Almendros, E., & Porcu, L. (2022). COVID-19 and social media communication strategies: A comparative study of the effectiveness of Facebook posts during the lockdown and the "new normal" in the airline industry. Journal of air transport management, 103, 102255. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jairtraman.2022.102255
• Ritzer, G. (2003). Rethinking globalization: Glocalization/grobalization and something/nothing. Sociological Theory, 21(3), 193–209.
• Robertson, R. (1995). Glocalization: Time-space and homogeneity-heterogeneity. In Global modernities (pp. 25–44). Sage.
• Svensson, G. (2001). “Glocalization” of business activities: A “glocal strategy” approach. Management Decision, 39(1), 6–18.
• Usunier, J. C., & Lee, J. A. (2013). Marketing across cultures (6th ed.). Pearson Education.
• THY. (2 Haz 2015). [Video]. YouTube. https://youtu.be/vl3swM1hCeY?si=F1P-nJqrSJ0xyNzn
• THY. (27 Oca 2016). [Video]. YouTube.https://youtu.be/QrY3c2wO3CU?si=yOo6wMXTxQUYF3d3
• THY. (16 Eyl 2017). [Video]. YouTube. https://youtu.be/21gK3Ei62Vs?si=6ZWk-0lo8rQNlvWf
• THY. (11 Haz 2018). [Video]. YouTube. https://youtu.be/6esb5_f0aDs?si=I_WJyANXie4av7xK
• THY. (4 Şub 2019). [Video]. YouTube. https://youtu.be/qfTKdMnvkZ4?si=yorw2vddDe6kn2st
• THY. (3 Şub 2020). [Video]. YouTube. https://youtu.be/_fPV05xpVZE?si=0v8GUr-JCHPhWG6w
• THY. (3 Nis 2022). [Video]. YouTube. https://youtu.be/qze8w_SiC6I?si=TfbrOcPqg_7lEhMg
• THY. (20 May 2022). [Video]. YouTube. https://youtu.be/YcZZWGpQAYE?si=_CIRUNsFPCmzEIXH
• THY. (5 Eki 2023). [Video]. YouTube. https://youtu.be/QhWw73jMAg0?si=2S1lQ1o3s1jyAoQL
• THY. (9 May 2024). [Video]. YouTube. https://youtu.be/o1T-FOLjPv4?si=4UVpKx6R3W89sOme
• THY. (29 Nis 2025). [Video]. YouTube. https://youtu.be/vKEbhHvZom4?si=3BqzANFCzyB16yZO
• Wheatley, M. C. (2024). Media Representation and Cultural Identity. Premier Journal of Social Science Review, 24(370), 1-15.
• Voorveld, H. A. M. (2019). Brand Communication in Social Media: A Research Agenda. Journal of Advertising, 48(1), 1-10. https://doi.org/10.1080/00913367.2019.1588808