Astronomer, the tech startup embroiled within the kiss cam scandal at a Coldplay live performance, is milking the viral second for excellent PR. Since it’s now virtually ‘a family identify,’ the corporate has employed Hollywood star Gwyneth Paltrow, the ex-wife of Coldplay’s vocalist Chris Martin, as its new and ‘very momentary’ spokesperson.
Andy Byron, the ex-CEO Astronomer of was captured canoodling with the corporate’s HR head, Kristin Cabot, on the kiss cam. A video of them draped in one another’s arms and their shocked response to discovering themselves on the jumbotron went viral on social media.
Astronomer’s new cheeky advert featured Gwyneth as its “momentary spokesperson,” utilizing social media’s consideration for the very best of the corporate.
“Thanks to your curiosity in Astronomer,” the corporate wrote alongside the advert during which Gwyneth launched herself, saying, “I’ve been employed on a really momentary foundation to talk on behalf of 300+ staff at Astronomer.”
In a witty, but veiled placement of a reference to the scandal, the actress stated, “Astronomer has gotten a variety of questions over the previous few days, and so they wished me to reply the commonest ones.”
Whereas the viewers anticipates a point out of the scandal after a fairly apparent query: “OMG! What the precise F” highlighted on the display screen, Gwyneth calmly went on to explain how superb the Astronomer was, and listed the various tech companies it gives.
Try the cheeky Astronomer advert:
Here is how netizens reacted:
Netizens had been overjoyed by the “intelligent advertising and marketing” of Astronomer, and gave it a ten/10 for such a “clean” PR restoration. Social media customers additionally lauded the tech agency for utilizing a disaster scenario as an “final model consciousness” marketing campaign.
“It’s a must to give credit score the place credit score is due. That is 10/10 PR restoration. Hiring Chris Martin’s ex spouse to do that is good. Nicely performed!” a person stated.
“Guys this can be a PR masterclass. You’re taking essentially the most viral second of July 2025 and, as a substitute of catastrophe management, make gentle of the scenario and create the last word model consciousness. Bravo,” one other added.
“That is advertising and marketing jiu jitsu,” claimed a person.
“Among the finest disaster responses I’ve ever seen in my life,” added one other.
Netizens known as their selection of Gwyneth Paltrow “savage, extraordinary”.
“You bought Chris Martin’s ex spouse???!!! Savage,” stated a person.
One other added, “You employed the Coldplay singer’s ex-wife. Extraordinary.”
“LMFAO good job. cultural tides are shifting,” a person stated.
Some customers, nonetheless, famous that the initiative was every week late, and would have hit its finest when the development was nonetheless on the rise.
“Don’t like being a doomer (however), it’s the proper message, every week late,” a person stated.
“They’re virtually every week late to the sport. They missed the window. The viral second calls for immediacy, prefer it or hate it (I truly form of hate it),” added one other.
“It was certainly intelligent. Even when timing was a bit off,” stated one other person.
‘Uncommon and surreal’: Pete DeJoy
Earlier, Astronomer’s interim CEO and co-founder, Pete DeJoy, described the extreme media focus following the Coldplay scandal as “uncommon and surreal”.
“The occasions of the previous few days have acquired a stage of media consideration that few corporations—not to mention startups in our small nook of the info and AI world—ever encounter,” he stated.
“The highlight has been uncommon and surreal for our staff and, whereas I’d by no means have wished for it to occur like this, Astronomer is now a family identify,” he added.
What occurred on the Coldplay live performance?
A viral video filmed throughout Coldplay’s efficiency at Gillette Stadium on July 16 confirmed a person and a lady on the ‘kiss cam’. The person had his arms across the girl and was embracing the second.
Nevertheless, simply as they realised that they had been being proven on the large display screen, each appeared to rapidly disguise their faces. The girl was seen briskly masking her face, whereas the person ducked out of sight.
Chris Martin seen the couple’s odd response on the jumbotron and had joked, “Both they’re having an affair or they’re simply very shy.”
The footage circulated like wildfire on the web, and Astronomer’s CEO, Andy Byron, was recognized as the person embracing the lady, the corporate’s Head of Human Sources, Kristin Cabot.
Each Andy and Kristin are married.
Andy stepped down from his position because the CEO of the corporate he co-founded, and so did Kristin.
An organization assertion confirmed his resignation, saying, “Astronomer is dedicated to the values and tradition which have guided us since our founding.”
“Our leaders are anticipated to set the usual in each conduct and accountability, and just lately, that normal was not met,” they stated, referring to the incident.
