By skyforbes 
Few brands have benefitted more from TikTok virality this year than Jet2, the British budget airline.
Years ago, Jet2 released an ad with the tagline “Nothing Beats A Jet2 Holiday!” while the song “Hold my Hand” by Jess Glynne played in the background.
For the last few months, that sound has been trending on TikTok and people all over the world have used it to create millions of videos and remixes that have garnered billions of views.
People have mainly used the sound for humor and irony, as background music for videos of holidays gone wrong or comedic freak accidents in life.
New Yorkers used the sound in videos of NYC’s July flooding. Celebrities like Mariah Carey and Jeff Goldblum have jumped on the trend. And even the White House controversially used the sound to post about ICE deportations.
In response to all the unintentional newfound global brand awareness, Jet2 started posted content offering discounts based on people doing the “Jet2 challenge” using the audio.
If you look at Jet2’s TikTok account, you can see tons of content of the company poking fun at itself and acknowledging the meme.
They can’t control the trend, but they can control how they respond to it as a brand.
A lot of this feels messy, unintentional, and maybe even chaotic. But that’s how things work in the attention economy.
It’s better to engage authentically with a viral trend than ignore it. That might come with concerns around the traditional vs. modern way to handle publicity, but brand executives need this skillset of flexibility and openness.
Competitors like Tui, Ryanair, and Easyjet are surely looking towards Jet2 with envy.
At PWR House, we help brands harness the culture that exists and spreads on platforms like TikTok. Brands should go on the offensive and play to win.
Jet2 has done that and they’re reaping the benefits of not only being the subject of a viral meme, but also proactively helping it spread and grow their business.