WHAT IT IS?
The UK tour operator Jet2 Holidays released in 2024 a compelling and captivating ad. An upbeat, 30-second ad promoting holidays discounted by “£50 per person — that’s £200 off for a family of four”. In the original video, a family of four races with excitement toward the Jet2 check-in desk, boards a Jet2 plane, high-fives the cabin crew as they disembark, and proceeds to enjoy a holiday in the sun. All of this happens to the tune of the singer Jess Glynne’s 2015 song “Hold My Hand.”
The discount deal is now long gone, but the audio of the ad lives on in TikTok and Instagram reels. So far, it has soundtracked more than a million TikTok videos, accompanying footage of a vacation going very wrong, including being arrested on a Jet2 flight.
Now, the virality happened by chance, but the way the company leveraged the opportunity is nothing short of genius. Jet2 Holidays proceeded to enhance the digital loyalty loop by:
- Including Staff Participation: The brand posted its own TikToks of staff lip-syncing to the viral audio.
- Encouraging UGC: The company encouraged more users to create their own videos, fueling the trend.
- Capitalizing on the Trend: The strategy shifted the conversation from negative to positive by highlighting the “real” holiday experiences customers share, creating a cascade effect of user-generated content.
WHY IT´S COOL?
Jet2 Holidays nailed the art of going viral. What began as a simple family holiday ad turned into a social media sensation, with millions of people using its catchy song in their own TikTok videos. Social influencers quickly jumped on the trend, giving it even more visibility and helping the brand reach audiences far beyond its usual market.
Then, AI algorithms did the rest — pushing the videos onto everyone’s “For You” pages and turning Jet2 into a household name for a whole new generation of travelers. And, of course, the Instagrammable appeal of sunny beaches, fun flights, and relatable travel moments made the campaign impossible to ignore. Together, they turned a discount ad into a pop culture moment.
WHY IT HAS FUTURE GROWTH POTENTIAL?
The brand of Jet2 Holidays is a perfect example of how a brand can adapt to the experience economy, where the user’s emotions, involvement, and entertainment drive loyalty and brand identification more than the price. The ability to turn a simple ad campaign into a pop culture event shows the power of social media and digital marketing.
On the one side, Jet2 holidays can continue to leverage this moment of fame by implementing AI algorithms to personalize offers, predict travel behaviours, and deliver tailor-made content for those users who engaged with the brand after the ad virality. The brand could also collaborate with social influencers, increasing and maintaining its visibility on social media. Jet2 can leverage the success and create a brand identity based on connection and authenticity.
On the other side, the Jet2Holidays story shows how powerful digital storytelling can be when it connects emotionally. Jet2 tapped into what today’s travelers — especially Gen Z and Millennials — really seek: not just good deals, but moments they can feel part of.
https://edition.cnn.com/2025/08/04/travel/jet2-holidays-planes-internet-viral-tiktok-jess-glynne
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