Royal Jordanian Airlines has decided to go beyond ‘joining the conversation’ to ‘own the conversation’, after the CEO-HR scandal took the social media meme world by storm.
The controversy – involving the married CEO of Astronomer Andy Byron inadvertently caught cosying up with his Head of HR Kristin Cabot on the jumbotron ‘kiss camera’ at the Coldplay concert in Foxborough, Massachusetts – resulted in software startup company Astronomer sharing a LinkedIn post that “Andy Byron has tendered his resignation, and the Board of Directors has accepted.”
In collaboration with Jordan-based creative agency Adpro& Group, the Royal Jordanian Airlines turned this global controversy into a standout creative moment.
The idea was simple: Astronomer was suddenly looking for a new CEO. So, Royal Jordanian decided to help.
But instead of adding another meme to the pile, it offered something more useful — a super sale fare from Amman to the United States for anyone interested in applying for the job.
The post read:
“There’s a CEO vacancy in the USA. Fly to Apply. Amman – New York starting at JD 499.”
And it closed with a cheeky final line:
“Our Wings… Your Cold Play.”
With zero production budget and zero media spend, the post took off. In less than 24 hours, it reached more than 1.48 million people organically, generated 16,000 shares across platforms, and became the brand’s highest-performing organic post in more than five years.
The audience reaction was instant and overwhelmingly positive. With 96 percent positive sentiment across Facebook, Instagram and Twitter, Royal Jordanian was praised for its speed, with and cultural relevance.
“Whoever runs the marketing team in RJ needs a raise.”
“You beat Ryanair this time with the creativity. Well played.”
“Whoever is behind this — genius. Deserves a medal.”
“Not gonna lie, RJ’s marketing game is strong.”
“What an ad. Best marketing shot I’ve ever seen.”
View this post on Instagram
Commenting on the creative approach to the trend, Karim Makhlouf, Chief Marketing Officer, Royal Jordanian Airlines, said, “This moment shows how important agility is in today’s digital landscape. When a brand can respond quickly, with the right tone and cultural awareness, it becomes part of the conversation rather than just observing it. We’re proud of how the team turned a trending moment into a smart, relevant piece of content that resonated across the region.”
The post quickly gained traction beyond the general public. It was picked up and shared by prominent public figures, influencers, and media personalities, amplifying its reach even further and reinforcing its viral status.
Rizek Jildeh, Head of Strategy, Adpro& Group, said, “The simplicity of the idea, the execution, and the impact it generated all prove that scale and reach don’t always require a budget. With the right social listening and cultural awareness, a timely, well-placed idea can drive massive share of voice — even with minimal, or in this case, zero spend.”
Mohammad Al-Nazer, Senior Art Director, Adpro& Group, added, “This was one of those opportunities that was just too obvious to ignore. It was right there, we had to jump on it. Creatively, it needed to feel raw and real. Nothing overly polished. The goal was to strike the perfect balance between a meme and a branded piece of content.”
Adpro& has been Royal Jordanian’s creative agency of record since January 2024, leading on creative, brand and communication strategy. Media is managed through Adpro& OMD. The agency has supported Royal Jordanian’s transformation journey, and aims to continue helping to shape the airline’s voice for a new era.
CREDITS:
Client: Royal Jordanian Airlines
Creative agency: Adpro& Group
