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Time of India

ColdplayGate video: How Tesla, Netflix, and StubHub turned the kiss cam scandal into a marketing win

The recent "ColdplayGate" episode — a viral incident involving a tech CEO and his head of human resources caught on a kiss cam during a Coldplay concert — has swiftly transformed into an unexpected marketing jackpot for major brands. As the internet churns out memes, speculation, and debates surrounding the now-infamous Coldplay video , top firms such as Tesla, Netflix, and StubHub have joined the fray, capitalizing on the moment to bolster engagement in the ever-competitive digital landscape. When Corporate Humor Meets Internet Scandal The incident, which began with a seemingly innocent concert segment, has escalated into full-blown internet fodder. During a Coldplay concert at Gillette Stadium, the stadium's kiss cam zoomed in on two individuals identified as the Astronomer CEO Andy Byran and his company's Chief People Officer. The brief embrace between the two, followed by their visibly startled reaction and quick exit from the camera frame, was captured by a fan and posted to social media, setting off a digital storm. Explore courses from Top Institutes in Select a Course Category PGDM MBA Design Thinking Operations Management CXO Data Science Artificial Intelligence Degree Management Public Policy Technology Digital Marketing Cybersecurity Project Management others Data Analytics Leadership MCA Product Management Data Science Others Healthcare healthcare Finance Skills you'll gain: Financial Analysis & Decision Making Quantitative & Analytical Skills Organizational Management & Leadership Innovation & Entrepreneurship Duration: 24 Months IMI Delhi Post Graduate Diploma in Management (Online) Starts on Sep 1, 2024 Get Details While ' Coldplay cheaters' trended widely, brands saw an opening. Rather than shy away, companies with savvy digital teams saw the moment as an opportunity to be part of the viral conversation. And from Tesla to the Seattle Mariners, several corporate entities dove headfirst into what has come to be dubbed as ColdplayGate , as mentioned in a report by Business Insider. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Treatment That Might Help You Against Knee Pain Knee pain | search ads Find Now Undo Tesla Leads with Sharp-Edged Humor Tesla, known for its unconventional and often meme-savvy social media presence, was among the first major brands to join the conversation. Posting on X (formerly Twitter), the company wrote: "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." The clever analogy immediately caught attention, drawing laughs and shares from users amused by the reference. The post subtly equates vehicle loyalty with relationship loyalty — a tongue-in-cheek nod to the alleged affair in the now-viral Coldplay video . Live Events 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. — Tesla (@Tesla) July 18, 2025 The carmaker's timely response is being viewed as a case study in real-time brand engagement, especially during an era where capturing audience attention often depends on being swift, sharp, and culturally attuned. StubHub Offers Tickets — With a Twist Ticketing platform StubHub didn't miss the beat either. The company posted on Facebook, "We have Coldplay tickets for you and your favorite coworker." The wink-and-nod phrasing, referencing the presumed relationship between the two individuals caught on video, added fuel to the fire while maintaining a light-hearted tone. With Coldplay concerts continuing across North America, the ticketing firm's cheeky engagement helped elevate its visibility at a time when it was offering deals for Coldplay's tour dates — a prime example of combining marketing objectives with meme culture. Netflix Keeps It Cool (and Slightly Cryptic) Netflix, another brand with a long history of meme-based promotion, joined the conversation more subtly. Although the streaming platform's main accounts refrained from explicitly naming the incident, fan accounts and regional Netflix handles referenced scenes from series such as You and The Office — both known for awkward encounters and scandalous moments — to draw loose parallels with ColdplayGate . — Netflix (@netflix) July 17, 2025 Industry watchers say the company's relatively conservative approach may reflect its efforts to balance humor with broad audience appeal, especially in a global market. Brands Embrace the 'Attention Economy' According to communication experts, such brand behavior is not accidental. Michael Serazio, a communications professor at Boston College, observed that companies are increasingly exploiting what he terms the 'attention economy.' In an interview with Business Insider , Serazio said: "It's not only your friends and influencers and creators hopping in with jokes and memes. It's brands wanting to get into that space as well and come across as edgy and cool." Serazio added that while brands were once hesitant to participate in current events, today's climate encourages timely, bold messaging — provided it avoids polarizing topics such as war or politics. ColdplayGate: Harmless Fun or PR Minefield? Brooke Erin Duffy, associate professor at Cornell University specializing in social media culture, pointed out that the ColdplayGate moment is relatively low-risk compared to controversial topics. "It doesn't have the same moral tenet as something that would take brands into an unequivocal political space, especially at such a fragile political moment as we find ourselves in," Duffy said. "It's not something that's going to offend people for the most part." Indeed, while some critics argue that brands are trivializing potentially serious professional misconduct, the prevailing sentiment online appears to favor humor, with most internet users treating the viral cold play cheaters narrative as a punchline, not a scandal. Internet Ephemera: Viral Today, Forgotten Tomorrow Despite its current prominence, communications scholars warn that ColdplayGate is likely to fade quickly. Serazio called the phenomenon a classic case of 'internet ephemera' — a temporary fixation that captivates attention before being replaced by the next big meme. Yet in this fleeting window, the digital gains are real. Engagement metrics for brands that participated in the conversation have spiked, especially among younger demographics who value pop culture literacy in the brands they interact with. Lessons from Previous PR Missteps While most brands have so far navigated the ColdplayGate waters with finesse, not all social media stunts end well. Earlier this year, language learning app Duolingo received backlash in Japan after it jokingly "killed off" its owl mascot as part of a global campaign. CEO Luis von Ahn admitted during an earnings call that joking about death didn't land well in Japanese markets. Such instances highlight the fine line brands must walk in today's interconnected and culturally sensitive digital environment. StubHub, Tesla, and the Art of Viral Relevance For StubHub, the buzz surrounding Coldplay's tour, combined with the viral incident, offered a rare moment to connect directly with fans and potential ticket buyers. By weaving the cold play video into its promotional content, the ticketing giant boosted visibility for its offerings while staying on-brand. Tesla's approach, meanwhile, plays to its long-established image as a tech disruptor with a sense of humor — a tone frequently championed by its CEO Elon Musk. FAQs What is ColdplayGate? ColdplayGate refers to a viral incident where Astronomer CEO Andy Byron and the company's Chief People Officer Kristin Cabot were caught on a kiss cam at a Coldplay concert, sparking speculation about an alleged workplace affair and triggering widespread online memes and reactions. Where did the incident take place? The kiss cam moment happened during a Coldplay concert at Gillette Stadium, where the duo was shown embracing before quickly reacting and exiting the spotlight.