Men in Four Lads in Jeans Memes Get Vindication After Signing McDonald’s Deal

Who would have thought that a boys’ night out one July evening in 2019 will turn into a nightmare? Not Kevin Rooney, Alex Lacey, Jamie Phillips, and Connor Humpage, who have unwillingly gained notoriety as the Four Lads in Jeans. 

Poised to have a fun night in Birmingham, these guys got off the train and, as usual with pals going out, asked someone to take a snapshot. Satisfied with the photo, they went on to share it on their Instagram accounts and got ready to start the night with some good time.

How The Four Lads Became Viral

The photo was then forgotten, and life went on as it usually has. Then, a few weeks after that fateful night, they were shocked to see that the particular picture resurfaced. This time as a meme that would haunt them for the next 18 months. 

Not one of these men ever imagined being in the center of everyone’s attention, but here they are, already dubbed as the Four Lads in Jeans. Going viral was the least thing on their thoughts when they went out that night. Especially for being ridiculed and used as a meme, lots and lots of memes.

Since then, they have been subjected to all kinds of trolling and hurtful messages. It was definitely heartbreaking to read comments such as telling them to kill or hang themselves and other abusive messages. Some even went overboard to call them at their work numbers just to prank them. 

The abuse went on to the point that even their mental states were affected. A few of them considered closing down their social media accounts. The four men may have an idea why they were meme-fied but knew that absolutely nothing deserves that much hatred and vitriol.

From Hateful Comments to Getting Love

Then the winds started to change directions when someone edited their photo to look like they were singing the TikTok Sea Shanty. They were once again thrust into the limelight, but this time, for good reasons. Moreover, the men have been approached by agents with offers from big-named brands, one of which is McDonald’s. 

They are now getting their vindication as former trolls are now sending apologetic messages. In an interview with The Mirror, Jamie says that they’re just normal lads who can take a joke, but not when it starts getting personal. The vile comments were just never-ending as were “the thousands of just abuse.”

After a harrowing eighteen months of offensive messages, they are now “getting a lot of love,” says Kevin. The abuse seemed to have stopped, and happily, the four men are now getting positivity from all that debacle. And now that they have a platform, they are less likely to get abused.

These guys agree that how you dress should never be a reason to throw sickening comments at anyone. They believe that it may be a cause for concern for people without a thick skin. They are now advocating to raise awareness for mental health and cyberbullying.

Fame for The Four Lads

The Four Lads are currently enjoying this newfound fame and had to turn down offers as it was getting hard to handle for them all. They are getting the most out of going viral as opportunities are now lined up for them. McDonald’s is the first among many.

Their shot to internet stardom made the burger giant notice them. The four lads were offered to promote McDonald’s Click & Serve. This is the restaurant’s Covid-19 solution for customers to collect food and avoid the drive-through queues.

Being big fans of the fast-food giant themselves, they are taking it all in and enjoying themselves. Quite a respite from all the hatred that came their way. Calling it a privilege to do the promoting for McDonald’s, Kevin says they were chuffed when McDonald’s asked them to help promote and educate people about how to use Click & Serve.

In a video, Kevin is shown ordering from the McDonald’s app but gets interrupted by a call from his mother. He then proceeds to give a step-by-step guide on how to place your order which is to use the app, drive to the nearest McDonald’s outlet, and park in the parking bays especially designated for Click & Serve customers.