We’re the agency behind that Bumble x Jane Boulton campaign.

You might know Jane Boulton from her recent resurgence on TikTok as the queen of dealing with disgruntled airport-goers on Airline, the TV show that followed the lives of a budget airline’s employees in the 90s. Or better yet, you may have seen her in the viral video that we co-created with Bumble UK… Either way, you’re going to want to know how Jane ended up posing as a supervisor for a fictional airline in Stansted Airport. So this is the blog for you. 

When Bumble UK challenged MG Empower to get more people in the UK into Travel Mode, an in-app feature that allows users to connect with people around the world ahead of a holiday, we tapped into the magic of Jane Boulton. 

Jane Boulton, an ex-EasyJet employee who enjoyed a stint on the 90s TV show ‘Airline’, spent the last two decades thinking her 15 minutes of fame were over. But then came along TikTok. In 2023, clips of Jane dealing with EasyJet passengers – with her signature abruptness and irreverence – started to resurface, and quickly gained traction among Gen Z and millennials on the app. That’s thanks to her signature wit, cheekiness and (occasionally) ruthless way of dealing with disgruntled passengers.

The kicker? Jane didn’t even know she’d gone viral until she heard her own voice playing on one of her teenager daughter’s phones. 

So, seizing the moment, we reached out to see if Jane would be interested in participating in a campaign for Bumble, posing as a supervisor for a new, fictional airline, ‘Bumble Air’. When she agreed, we quickly got her over to Stansted Airport and into a shiny new uniform – leveraging a very tight turnaround time to ensure the content landed before the hype faded.

“It was amazing to see Jane back in action, giving those famous one-liners and showcasing her amazing charisma. We’re delighted with how the content turned out, creating a sense of nostalgia amongst audiences and reiterating Jane’s ‘icon’ status among zelennials. If you haven’t watched it yet, what are you waiting for?!” – Olivia Wells-Johnson, Account Executive at MG Empower

The impact? 1.5 million views (and counting), an industry-topping engagement rate of 10.8% and some of the most positive audience sentiment we’ve ever recorded – proving that dynamic, reactive, trend-tapping content lands incredibly well with TikTok audiences. 

If you’re a brand and you’re looking for your next big social strategy, get in touch today.