The brand that accidentally created the summer’s surprise social media hit is not overly happy with with the Trump administration hopping on the trend.
Jet2, the Leeds budget airline and package holiday supplier, has found itself the subject of viral success, as users post their vacation and life mishaps online to the soundtrack of its long-running campaign promoting the company’s discounted flights. The White House, however, may have spoiled the fun after using its ad to highlight deportations.
“Our branding has become something of a viral phenomenon this summer and we are pleased to see how many people have used it in good humour,” a Jet2.com and Jet2holidays spokesperson said in a July 31 statement. “This has put a smile on many people’s faces, just like our holidays do.”
The statement continued: “We are of course aware of a post from the White House social media account. This is not endorsed by us in any way, and we are very disappointed to see our brand being used to promote Government policy such as this.”
In a video posted on the White House’s official social media accounts on July 29, people are escorted out of a van and marched onto a plane while their hands and ankles are handcuffed. Though federal agents’ faces are blurred, the detainees’ faces are not.
The footage is set to the audio of British singer Jess Glynne’s 2015 song “Hold My Hand” as it advertises a limited-time vacation package deal for customers.
The caption for the White House’s post, which references the script heard in the advertisement, reads: “When ICE books you a one-way Jet2 holiday to deportation. ✈️🎶 Nothing beats it!”
Since his return to the White House, President Donald Trump has spearheaded a mass deportation campaign, targeting undocumented workers and families across the 50 states.
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The White House has vowed to continue using memes to promote the Trump administration’s campaign promise for a crackdown on people living in the US without documents.
“There is nothing more unifying and positive than deporting criminal illegal aliens and making American communities safer,” said Abigail Jackson. “The memes will continue until every criminal illegal alien is removed!”
Trump has long vowed to deport undocumented immigrants, citing threats to public safety. Deportation efforts, which have involved a huge budget increase for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and an expansion of jail facilities, including the so-called “Alligator Alcatraz,” have contributed to steep declines in border crossings by unauthorized migrants.
Despite claims of a focus on those with criminal backgrounds, there are reports of people, including schoolchildren, farm workers, those who are married to US citizens and legal permanent residents without criminal records, also being targeted by the Department of Homeland Security.
Singer Jess Glynne, whose pop hit helped propel the widely parodied commercial to fame, has also spoken out about the White House’s use of it.
“This post honestly makes me sick. My music is about love, unity, and spreading positivity – never about division or hate,” she wrote in a July 30 Instagram story alongside a screenshot of the White House’s deportation video on X.
