How Humor Can Save Your Brand: What Astronomer’s Coldplay Scandal Teaches Us About Crisis PR

In the high-stakes world of public relations, a viral scandal can feel like a death sentence. But every crisis carries within it a choice: shrink from the spotlight or own the moment. This past week, the data tech company Astronomer showed the world what happens when a brand chooses the latter—with a wink and a punchline.

When a Kiss Cam Goes Corporate

At a Coldplay concert, Astronomer’s CEO and Chief People Officer were caught on the kiss cam in a moment that launched a thousand memes. The internet speculated, laughed, and circulated the video far and wide. The PR risks were obvious: reputational damage, internal friction, lost client trust.

But Astronomer didn’t retreat or respond with boilerplate apologies. Instead, they turned to Ryan Reynolds’s Maximum Effort agency, which produced a cheeky ad featuring Gwyneth Paltrow. The commercial leaned into the drama, poked fun at the situation, and—crucially—brought attention back to Astronomer’s actual product offering.

This wasn’t a cover-up. It was a reframe.

The Psychology of Humor in Crisis

When someone is already laughing at you, trying to act serious only makes it worse. The magic trick? Laugh with them.

Astronomer’s ad did exactly that. It acknowledged the awkwardness and turned it into a moment of connection. Just like when someone cracks a well-timed joke to defuse tension in a heated conversation, the company used humor as a reset button—turning ridicule into relatability.

In doing so, they signaled something powerful: self-awareness, confidence, and cultural fluency. And in today’s digital landscape, those are brand assets as valuable as any ad budget.

The PR Judo Move

At Holler, we often say that crisis doesn’t define your brand—your response does. Astronomer’s team didn’t ignore the problem or try to spin it into something it wasn’t. Instead, they used a public relations judo move—taking the energy of the moment and flipping it into a controlled, compelling, even funny new narrative.

It worked because it was:

• Timely: They responded while people were still talking.

• Authentic: The tone matched the brand and the culture of its audience.

• Strategic: The ad reminded people what Astronomer actually does, not just what happened.

This wasn’t just damage control. It was brand-building, done with confidence and creativity.

Let Holler Help You Own the Moment

At Holler, we help organizations turn their toughest moments into defining ones. Whether you're navigating a social media storm, internal controversy, or a media crisis that seems to have its own life, our team brings the strategic insight, creative vision, and executional muscle to put you back in control of the narrative.

Don't let a crisis define you—let it reveal your brand’s true character.

📞 Contact us today to build a crisis communications plan that turns pressure into power.