Gwyneth Paltrow Pokes Fun at Viral Coldplay Kiss-Cam Drama as Astronomer's 'Temporary Spokesperson'
Gwyneth Paltrow is leaning into the drama. In a surprise video shared across social media Friday night, the Oscar-winning actress teamed up with data automation company , Astronomer, to poke fun at the viral Coldplay kiss-cam moment that led to the resignation of both the company's CEO and chief people officer. "I've been hired on a very temporary basis to speak on behalf of the 300-plus employees at Astronomer," Paltrow says in the clip, which the company posted across social media. The parody-style video comes amid intense online scrutiny after Astronomer execs Andy Byron and Kristin Cabot were caught on the kiss-cam during Coldplay's July 16 show in Boston -- quickly ducking out of frame, triggering speculation about their relationship status -- and a million memes in the process. "Astronomer has gotten a lot of questions over the last few days, and they wanted me to answer the most common ones," Paltrow continues in the video, as text begins typing the question: "OMG! What the actual f--k." But instead of addressing the scandal, the clip cuts to Paltrow responding to something entirely unrelated: "Yes, Astronomer is the best place to run Apache Airflow. We've been thrilled so many people have a newfound interest in data automation." The Goop founder doesn't stop there, however. Giving a deadpan look to the camera, she continues, "As for the other questions we’ve received…" just as the on-screen text begins to type, "How is your social media team holding..." before she reappears once again to dodge the obvious and answer a random product-related inquiry instead. "Thank you for your interest in Astronomer," the company captioned the clip. While the company never directly addresses the viral moment in the parody, the timing, coupled with the fact that Paltrow is Coldplay front man Chris Martin's ex-wife, makes the casting choice all the more hilarious. Interest in Astronomer skyrocketed after the Boston concert footage went viral. During the band's kiss-cam segment, Martin quipped from the stage, "Either they're having an affair, or they're just very shy," after Byron and Cabot swiftly exited the frame. Paltrow's tongue-in-cheek ad for the company comes after Astronomer's new CEO, Pete DeJoy, addressed the unprecedented attention the company has received since the now-viral scandal. "The spotlight has been unusual and surreal for our team and, while I would never have wished for it to happen like this, Astronomer is now a household name," DeJoy wrote via LinkedIn on Monday, July 21. "At Astronomer we have never shied away from challenges; a near-decade of building this business has tested us time and time again, and each time we’ve emerged stronger. From starting a software company in Cincinnati, Ohio, to keeping the lights on through the collapse of the bank that held all our cash, to scaling from 30 to 300 people during a global pandemic that demanded we do it all without ever being in the same room. And yet, we're still here." The PR disaster turned unexpected marketing moment didn't just boost visibility for Astronomer, however, it also led to a major spike in Coldplay's streaming numbers. According to Billboard, data from Luminate showed the band's on-demand audio streams jumped 25% on Thursday alone. In the five days leading up to the Boston show, Coldplay racked up 28.7 million streams.
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Paltrow's appearance in the ad comes after the company's CEO and chief people officer -- who were allegedly having an affair -- were caught on the kiss cam at Paltrow's ex-husband's band, Coldplay's concert, earlier this month.
Gwyneth Paltrow is leaning into the drama.
In a surprise video shared across social media Friday night, the Oscar-winning actress teamed up with data automation company , Astronomer, to poke fun at the viral Coldplay kiss-cam moment that led to the resignation of both the company's CEO and chief people officer.
"I've been hired on a very temporary basis to speak on behalf of the 300-plus employees at Astronomer," Paltrow says in the clip, which the company posted across social media. The parody-style video comes amid intense online scrutiny after Astronomer execs Andy Byron and Kristin Cabot were caught on the kiss-cam during Coldplay's July 16 show in Boston -- quickly ducking out of frame, triggering speculation about their relationship status -- and a million memes in the process.
"Astronomer has gotten a lot of questions over the last few days, and they wanted me to answer the most common ones," Paltrow continues in the video, as text begins typing the question: "OMG! What the actual f--k." But instead of addressing the scandal, the clip cuts to Paltrow responding to something entirely unrelated: "Yes, Astronomer is the best place to run Apache Airflow. We've been thrilled so many people have a newfound interest in data automation."
The Goop founder doesn't stop there, however. Giving a deadpan look to the camera, she continues, "As for the other questions we’ve received…" just as the on-screen text begins to type, "How is your social media team holding..." before she reappears once again to dodge the obvious and answer a random product-related inquiry instead.
"Thank you for your interest in Astronomer," the company captioned the clip.
While the company never directly addresses the viral moment in the parody, the timing, coupled with the fact that Paltrow is Coldplay front man Chris Martin's ex-wife, makes the casting choice all the more hilarious.
Interest in Astronomer skyrocketed after the Boston concert footage went viral. During the band's kiss-cam segment, Martin quipped from the stage, "Either they're having an affair, or they're just very shy," after Byron and Cabot swiftly exited the frame.
Paltrow's tongue-in-cheek ad for the company comes after Astronomer's new CEO, Pete DeJoy, addressed the unprecedented attention the company has received since the now-viral scandal.
"The spotlight has been unusual and surreal for our team and, while I would never have wished for it to happen like this, Astronomer is now a household name," DeJoy wrote via LinkedIn on Monday, July 21. "At Astronomer we have never shied away from challenges; a near-decade of building this business has tested us time and time again, and each time we’ve emerged stronger. From starting a software company in Cincinnati, Ohio, to keeping the lights on through the collapse of the bank that held all our cash, to scaling from 30 to 300 people during a global pandemic that demanded we do it all without ever being in the same room. And yet, we're still here."
The PR disaster turned unexpected marketing moment didn't just boost visibility for Astronomer, however, it also led to a major spike in Coldplay's streaming numbers. According to Billboard, data from Luminate showed the band's on-demand audio streams jumped 25% on Thursday alone. In the five days leading up to the Boston show, Coldplay racked up 28.7 million streams.
