Royal Jordanian post goes viral with play on Coldplay concert CEO-HR scandal
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 700,000 people organically, generated 7,500 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
A post shared by Royal Jordanian (@royaljordanian)
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
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Dubai Eye
4 hours ago
- Dubai Eye
Watch: Marine life flourishes as 'DUBAI REEF' gains momentum
Dubai's ambitious artificial reef project is showing promising signs of success in enhancing marine ecosystems within the emirate's waters. New underwater footage from the DUBAI REEF initiative reveals a thriving marine environment around its test site, with fish populations booming and habitats forming around the reef structures. Surveys report a rise in 15 native fish species, including snappers, groupers and barracuda — with an eightfold increase in fish biomass and a potential 10 per cent boost in marine biodiversity. The project, one of the world's largest purpose-built reef developments, plans to deploy 20,000 reef modules across 600 square kilometers by 2027. So far, nearly 40 per cent of the modules have been fabricated, and over 3,600 have already been installed. View this post on Instagram A post shared by ARN News Centre (@arnnewscentre) DUBAI REEF focuses on three key pillars: habitat restoration, marine life rehabilitation, and marine conservation research — all part of a long-term strategy to protect and enhance Dubai's marine environment. Launched in 2024, the initiative is driven by a collaboration of strategic public and private partners including Dubai Department of Economy and Tourism (DET); Dubai Environment and Climate Change Authority (DECCA), DP World; Dubai Chambers; Nakheel, a member of Dubai Holding Real Estate; Ports, Customs and Free Zone Corporation (PCFC); and Emirates. Together, they are advancing Dubai's shared sustainability objectives and supporting several United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), including SDG 13 (Climate Action), SDG 14 (Life Below Water), and SDG 17- Partnerships.
Campaign ME
5 hours ago
- Campaign ME
A jailbird's guide to using unlicensed music
So you're the content manager for a mall in Dubai and you want to use Bob Marley's Jammin' as the music for your social media soundtrack? Go ahead. That'll get you into trouble quicker than admitting you shot the sheriff. And in the mall itself. That lovely, slow and familiar love song in the zone around the high-ticket jewelry stores or the quick-tempo current chart -topper in the supermarket? You're making every customer within earshot an accessory to a crime. Even in Dubai, that's too high a price to pay for some retail therapy. And when you get caught? The first thing you'll be told when you protest is 'ignorance of the law is no excuse'. Ignorance, in this case, may be that you trusted Instagram, Canva or CapCut, because they showed it as an option. The second thing you'll be told when you argue that '…surely it's okay, everyone else does it' will be 'oh we'll get to everyone else, don't you worry'. We speak about license infringement in malls, but they're just the tip of the iceberg. Last year, 14 NBA franchises were sued for copyright infringement because of the music they neglected to pay for in their promotional videos. That's half of the entire NBA playing dodgeball, not basketball! We can debate the merits of copyright law all day, but the fact remains that published music cannot be used for any commercial promotion without cost. If you have a personal profile on a social media platform, that's okay. Alright, now we've all had a light slap on the wrist, what's the answer? First, remove the ignorance factor. It's not going to cost you anything to explore your options in terms of catalogued music that's available. Spek, Founder & CEO at PopArabia commented, 'If you are a corporate entity or business page on social media you require music licenses to use commercial music from the library available. Social media pages are not exempt from music licensing requirements. Companies in MENA should be aware.' Secondly, put a call into a sonic branding company. They'll sit down with you to discuss solutions that are scalable up or down, with either licensed or original music. Thirdly, don't go looking to AI for the creation of music, particularly if you think your budget is too low for human creativity. It may produce something you think is great, but it won't be original and therefore will never bond with whatever currently represents the brand. Lastly, start thinking about music as an immersive brand experience, not just a prop to help make a quick sale. Because despite its name, sonic branding is not really about sound at all. Sound is a tool to help you achieve better brand engagement. The term brand refers not to a product (or service), but the relationship a human being has with that product. A relationship whose interaction puts an individual human being into a state of grace, borne of trust and satisfaction. Sonic branding, therefore, is about how you feel about a product, service or event. When you brief a sonic branding company and you ask for specific, culturally relevant musical instruments, for example, you should expect more than just nods of acquiescence from the company. In response, you should expect a deep dive into why these specific instruments resonate, and how they contribute to mood. Or at the very least, they should respond with enlightenment from previous experiences about why those instruments are right. Or wrong. That doesn't just put sonic branding on a par with visual branding, it puts it ahead on levels we're only just beginning to comprehend. Please think carefully about the beautiful or dynamic music you use to attract customers. Is it legal? Is it moral? And does it ignore the opportunity to take your brand engagement to a new level? By John Smeddle, Head of Creative, WithFeeling.
Web Release
6 hours ago
- Web Release
Arab Bank Group Profits Grow by 6% to $535 Million for the First Half of 2025
Arab Bank Group Profits Grow by 6% to $535 Million for the First Half of 2025 Arab Bank Group reported solid results for the first half of 2025, with 6% increase in net income after tax reaching $535.3 million as compared to $502.8 million for the same period last year. The Group maintained its strong capital base with a total equity of $12.5 billion. The Group's Assets grew by 9% to reach $75.2 billion, loans of $39.8 billion showed a net growth by 6%, and deposits grew by 9% to reach $55.3 billion. Commenting on the bank's performance, Mr. Sabih Masri, Chairman of the Board of Directors stated that the strong results achieved in the first half of 2025 are a clear testament to the effectiveness of the bank's strategy and the resilience of its operating model. He noted that despite ongoing economic headwinds and regional geopolitical uncertainties, the bank continued to prudently grow its operations and deliver sustainable growth and healthy returns for shareholders. Looking ahead, Mr. Masri affirmed the bank's commitment to executing its integrated corporate strategy and long-term vision, with a clear focus on meeting the evolving expectations of both shareholders and clients.' Mr. Masri emphasized that Arab Bank Switzerland completed the merger of Gonet & Cie SA ('Gonet') and ONE swiss bank SA ('ONE') and strengthen its presence in Switzerland and operational entities abroad. Arab Bank Switzerland Group assets under management increased to reach CHF 18 billion. Ms. Randa Sadik, Chief Executive Officer, stated that the underlying performance of the Group continues its growth trajectory with first half results recording a healthy increase of 5% in revenue while maintaining a solid balance sheet growth of 9%. Ms. Sadik emphasized that the bank remains focused on maintaining high liquidity and preserving its high asset quality. The Group's loan-to-deposit ratio stood at 72% and credit provisions held against non-performing loans continue to exceed 100%. Arab Bank Group maintains a strong capital base that is predominantly composed of common equity with a capital adequacy ratio of 17.1%. It is worth mentioning that Arab Bank has recently received the 'Best Bank in the Middle East 2025' award from New York-based Global Finance magazine, a testament to its leading position in the regional banking sector.
