Jet2 Rejects the White House's Use of Its Meme
The White House is under fire for using a viral Jet2 meme to promote deportations in a controversial social media video.
Photo by Kitmasterbloke, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
The United States White House has been criticized for posting on its official account X A video parodying the viral meme “Nothing beats a Jet2 Holiday,” using clips from alleged deportations. Jess Glynne, the voice behind the song that accompanies the meme, as well as Jet2, expressed their disagreement with the post.
Jet2, a British airline, quickly gained international prominence thanks to a commercial it released featuring Jess Glynne's song "Hold My Hand." In the commercial, a female narrator says (in English):
“Nothing beats a Jet2 holiday, and right now you can save £50 per person. That's £200 off for a family of four. We have millions of holidays with free child seats and 22kg of baggage included. Book now with Jet2holidays. Complete package holidays you can trust!”
The commercial became the meme of the summer: several users on platforms such as TikTok, X and Instagram They posted sarcastic videos depicting disastrous vacations, humorously contrasted with the commercial's positive and energetic audio. The White House decided to join in the fun, but its release drew criticism for the cruel and ironic nature of the video they released.
Jet2 Holiday According to the White House
On July 29, the official account of X The White House published the following video:
The video includes the viral Jet2 audio, but instead of showing humorous clips of disastrous vacations, it shows videos of handcuffed people being brought onto planes. The prisoners' faces are clearly visible, but the identities of the arresting officers have been shielded. Although the White House has not confirmed this, the video strongly implies that these are deportation flights. The accompanying message reinforces this interpretation:
“When ICE books you a one-way Jet2 vacation headed for deportation. ✈️🎶 Nothing beats it!
Relevant Criticisms
Jess Glynne, singer of Hold my Hand, protested the White House's use of the meme with the following message published in his Story of Instagram:
“Honestly, this makes me nauseous. My music is about love, unity, and spreading positive energy—never about division or hate.”
The airline responsible for the commercial, Jet2, shared its disagreement with a statement obtained by USA Today:
“Our brand has become something of a viral phenomenon this summer, and we're pleased to see so many people using it with good humor. This has brought smiles to many people's faces, just as our vacations do. Of course, we are aware of a post on the official White House social media account. We do not endorse it in any way and are deeply disappointed to see our brand being used to promote government policies of this kind.”
The White House and Memes
USA Today also received a response from Abigail Jackson, the White House Press Secretary:
“There is nothing more unifying and positive than deporting illegal immigrants with criminal records and making American communities safer. The memes will continue until every illegal immigrant with a criminal record is removed!”
This response clearly demonstrates the position of the White House, which has yet to delete the controversial video that continues to generate international criticism.
For more stories like this, follow More Latin.
Sources:
English 
Spanish 