The internet’s latest obsession, an awkward “kiss cam” moment featuring Astronomer CEO Andy Byron and HR Chief Kristin Cabot at a Coldplay concert has garnered massive attention — not just from netizens but also from several top brands.
What began as a cozy moment between the two colleagues, captured by the concert’s kiss cam and magnified by Coldplay’s lead vocalist, Chris Martin’s playful commentary has now inspired a wave of cheeky corporate homages.
Brands capitalise on the scandal
Global giants like Tesla and IKEA are leading the charge, cleverly fitting the “Don’t get caught” narrative into their own marketing campaigns, proving that even an HR-adjacent scandal can be turned into marketing gold.
Several other companies have also used the “kiss cam” scandal to their advantage and released some hilarious advertisements of their products.
IKEA and Tesla’s take on the incident
Furniture retail brand, IKEA posted a picture of a stuffed panda hugging an orangutan from behind, mimicking the ‘viral colleagues’ on their Instagram page. The caption read, “Don’t get caught… without these! Drama-free cuddles guaranteed.” The phrase “HR approved” was placed in the image.
On the other hand, Elon Musk-owned brand Tesla posted on X, humorously stating “Posting a pic of you enjoying your loaner Tesla while your own one is in service is the equivalent of taking it to a Coldplay concert. Your car will know.”
Other companies too join the trend
Frido, a popular pillow and mattress company, photoshopped Andy Byron onto their cuddle pillow with the caption, “Bro could’ve just used our Cuddle Pillow and avoided all that embarrassment.”
Even airlines did not miss out on the trend as Private jet charter service GlobeAir reposted the viral clip by adding a twist. “The quickest escape after a Coldplay concert,” the text read, featuring a Boston-to-Hawaii escape.
Mixed opinions
While most of the comments on the brands’ marketing campaigns have been full of jokes and praises for the companies’ marketing teams, some also showed concern about humourising a serious incident of adultery and broken families.
Commenting on the Frido’s satirical post based on the viral incident, an X user said, “You and your team should be ashamed of this,@ganeshunwired. It’s a new low, taking someone’s personal life to hawk a product.”
Another user commented, “Pathetic to make fun of someone’s relationship to sell your stuff.”
What is the buzz all about ?
The Astronomer CEO Andy Byron faced widespread backlash after a video involving him with his colleague, Kristin Cabot went viral.
In the footage, he was seen sharing an intimate moment with the company’s Human Resources (HR) head in a Kiss Cam segment during a Coldplay concert, despite being married to Megan Kerrigan Byron, who has mostly avoided social media after the “work affair” surfaced.
Kristin Cabot is the Chief People Officer of Astronomer and also reportedly married to a separate person named Andrew Cabot, who is a Harvard graduate.