Source:- http://e247mag.com/like-kevin-costner-like-kunle-afolayan-nigerias-film-poster-boy-unveiled-as-air-france-ambassador/


Like Kevin Costner, Nigeria’s award winning actor and director, Kunle Afolayan  may bump into you on your next flight.  Kunle Afolayan on Wednesday signed a major deal with one of Europe’s best airline, Air France,  as an ambassador.  

Afolayan,  already in the works for his next pan-African cast movie, The CEO, signed the international brand endorsement deal yesterday at the Lagos, Nigeria’s office of Air France, witnessed by top executives of the airline, notable names in Nollywood and the media , writes BIODUN KUPOLUYI.Speaking at the historic event, the General Manager of Air France, Jean-Raoul Tauzin, said the decision to bring Afolayan on board of Air France as an ambassador was borne out of their decision to forge  a partnership with the creative industry in Nigeria and connect Nollywood to abundance of opportunities globally.“If you are familiar with the Air France environment, we have been in Nigeria since 1946, serving the country, serving its citizens, and we are very pleased that we have someone very famous and international to represent our brand.

As you may know, Air France has been sponsoring the Cannes International Film Festival since 1980 and we are very proud to be a partner of the Festival de Cannes to develop the industry of entertainment and art in France. Therefore,  we are very convinced that with the help of Kunle Afolayan, we will be able also to develop as much as we can, a partnership between Air France and Nollywood in Nigeria, Tauzin said.

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In his reaction, Afolayan, commended the unique steps taken by Air France to get him on board, what it portends for the Nigerian movie industry vis-a-vis the challenges confronting the practitioners.“I remember in 2009 when we wanted to shoot The Figurine, we approached quite a number of Airlines because there were parts to be shot in Germany and we tried to see how to make that happen but again we had to change the script because we couldn’t make it happen.Afolayan spotting a bespoke Navy Blue double-breasted suit on a blue and white striped shirt featuring a red pocket square, recalled  with nostalgia how the journey started.“This journey started in Paris some weeks ago and the very moment they engaged me, I just started talking about my passion and  because they were part of the  festival in Paris where I met with the Vice President of Air France, Africa. I was just talking continuously about films and what we can do together. When I got  back to Lagos, someone called and said let’s have a chat and there was a bond.

At the press parley, he shared a unique experience with the airline before talks on the deal began.”Air France did something quite overwhelming for me. I was meant to go to Los Angeles and those who invited me provided an Economic Class ticket. I tried everything possible to upgrade that ticket, you know how it is with celebrity status but I couldn’t afford to, because it was quite expensive. And as I was making enquiries, I got a call from Air France that they were willing to upgrade me all the way to Los Angeles.