Welcome back again, readers, to our popular segment #MarketSpotlights, an exciting series brought to you by Team BUSFAM, an expert social media marketing agency.
In today’s write-up, we are going to talk about the most talked-about event of the month—the viral Andy Byron–Kristin Cabot 'kiss cam' incident at a Coldplay concert. What began as a feel-good and light-hearted moment at the Coldplay concert soon became an internet sensation, generating a lot of memes, debates, and, more importantly, an opportunity for brands to cash in.
Just hours after the video featuring Astronomer CEO Andy Byron and Chief People Officer Kristin Cabot at the Coldplay concert, several brands jumped to capitalise on the incident.
The awkward embrace between the two top executives, followed by discomfort and an expected reaction from lead singer Chris Martin, captured on the "kiss cam" at the concert, became the talk of the town in no time.
What happened next? The internet was flooded with memes and debates, and gave rise to a number of humorous advertising campaigns from both Indian and foreign brands.
The viral moments became a case of moment marketing, where several brands showcased how to tap into this sensational wave with creativity in such a way that it feels natural and relevant to the audience.
At the Boston Coldplay concert on July 16, Astronomer CEO Andy Byron and Chief People Officer Kristin Cabot were caught unexpectedly on the venue’s kiss cam sharing an intimate moment. The duo was half-hugging and smiling, which led to a social media frenzy.
What made them more uncomfortable was the remark by the lead singer, Chris Martin, about them having an affair. Their unexpected reaction gave rise to a series of online discussions, with even brands taking the opportunity to promote themselves.
“Amul—"Only Scoops, No Oops!”
The Indian dairy brand, Amul, took no time to recreate the saga with a cartoon. The creative featured the two characters in a humorous pose, with the Amul girl reacting with an “oops” expression. The brand paired it with a line, “Hum Tum Ek Camera Mein Bandh Ho!” that added even more fun. It reinforced Amul's reputation for quirky reactions.
”Frido—"Bro Could’ve Just Used Our Cuddle Pillow.”
Frido, a pillow and mattress brand, responded with a meme post. The brand photoshopped Andy Byron with a cheeky image, hugging a Frido pillow on the “kiss cam,” with a caption, Bro could’ve just used our Cuddle Pillow and avoided all that embarrassment.”
Ikea—"Don't “Get Caught… Without These!”
IKEA Singapore, a famous furniture and home furnishing store, also joined in the trend with a post featuring an image of a plush panda hugging a plush orangutan. The brand played with the idea of comfort and captioned, “Don’t get caught without these. Drama-free cuddles guaranteed.”
Globe Air—"We ”Help You Through Every Stage Of Life!”
GlobeAir, the private jet charter service, also responded to the incident with cleverness. They shared a clip featuring a luxury jet with a catchy tagline, “quickest escape ”from Boston to Hawaii.” The caption, “We help you through every stage of life! Vacation is calling, subtly promoting its services as a solution to get away from life’s embarrassing moments.
There were also several other brands like Hulu, Pizza Hut, Tesla, and more that all jumped in with their viral takes and made the incident into a marketing win.
The Coldplay kiss cam scandal was a source of media speculation and memes, with brands leveraging the incident for their marketing purposes and to engage with the audience.
Both big and small companies took advantage of the viral trend to remain relevant. They also ensured that their message aligned with the brand identity to resonate with the target audience. Whether it’s Amul, Frido, IKEA, or GlobeAir, each of the campaigns felt organic.
These advertisements also showcased the drastic shift in how the audience engaged with brands. Moreover, moments like these also highlighted that marketing is not always about big budgets. Sometimes, a creative approach to a trending video can turn a situation into an engaging brand interaction.
The varied tone used by brands also serves as an example of how moment marketing can be tailored to suit a brand's voice without compromising relevance.
To conclude, we can say that great marketing is not only about storytelling but also involves finding ways to turn unexpected events into lasting impressions.