Is Astronomer’s Gwyneth Paltrow ad a smart move?

B2B tech firm Astronomer has been in the spotlight since its now-former CEO Andy Byron was caught on "kisscam" with the firm’s chief people officer Kristin Cabot, seemingly in a romantic embrace, at a Coldplay concert in the US earlier this month. A video showing Byron ducking down went viral.

A couple of days later, Astronomer announced in a statement that the business leader had resigned. “Our leaders are expected to set the standard in both conduct and accountability, and recently, that standard was not met,” the statement said.

Today (Saturday), Astronomer addressed the issue again in a humorous video published on YouTube, starring Paltrow as the company’s “temporary spokesperson”.

The one-minute video shows the actor, who was formerly married to Coldplay singer Chris Martin, answering questions about the famous incident that had supposedly been asked by the public. However, she interprets the questions as being about Astronomer’s services.

Writing on LinkedIn, several marcomms professionals commended the response.

Ronke Lawal, PR and communications consultant at Ariatu Public Relations, wrote: “Well played Astronomer. Well played.

“Handling a PR crisis particularly one that plays out so loudly on social media & mainstream media and isn't directly in line with the fundamental operations of your organisation is tricky.

“The majority of us outside of data and tech had ever even heard of Astronomer before last week… my brain kept searching for a link to NASA.

“But credit where it's due, this is a well-thought-out and engaging way to handle a PR crisis of this nature. Serious without taking themselves too seriously. Socially relevant without being too corny and cringe. Fun without forgetting to be authentic. And Gwyneth Paltrow??? Chef's kiss.

“They humanised the crisis because the crisis in and of itself is a very human story and as uncomfortable as it was to deal with the aftermath they couldn't ignore it. People can't be ignored, even if it's people who aren't direct customers.”

She added that it’s an “example of how a brand doesn't have to lose itself in the noise of a ‘PR disaster’, admittedly one that they didn't even cause”.

'Master stroke'

Katrina Marshall, who has held comms roles at organisations including Cambridgeshire Community Services NHS Trust and Solihull Metropolitan Borough Council, agreed, calling it “a master stroke in pivoting narratives if I’ve ever seen one”. And Perveen Akhtar, whose previous roles include head of PR for Europe at Dolby Laboratories, labelled the video a “genius PR move by Astronomer”.

Simon Harwood, global effectiveness director at influencer marketing agency Billion Dollar Boy, called it a “five-star response”. “[Astronomer] didn't rush out something quick and forgettable but crafted something brilliant with the perfect lead. Now they're a household name in 'data workflow automation”, he wrote on LinkedIn.

“What a creatively superb, culturally smart and supremely clever bit of reactive PR,” said Michael Phillips, head of communications at Havas Media Network. Stefan Lasek, planning director at H&M Global (Publicis Media), wrote on the platform: “This is brilliant - funny, relevant and will drive awareness (in a positive way) for the brand.”

And Kosta Petrov, MD of Canada-based comms training firm Crisis Communications Club, said the video was “pure genius”.

“Instead of staying on the defensive, they reframed the entire conversation. They shifted the narrative to what actually matters. And that is how you take back control of a story. And hiring Gwyneth Paltrow as the face of the message? Bold, unexpected, and brilliant. Well done, Astronomer. A masterclass in turning a crisis into brand momentum.”

Laura Tannenbaum, CEO of social creative agency Fabric Social, said the response "represents social thinking on a grand scale".

"It’s reactive, creative, fearless, and deeply fluent in how culture moves. Social thinking in its highest form: not just watching culture, but participating in it. Not just responding fast, but re-framing with wit. Totally owning the moment. Love it."

There were some notes of caution, however.

Julio Romo, who has held senior government comms roles and worked at agencies including Edelman, Burson-Marsteller and Grayling, wrote: “That is a good response. But eyes will be on the culture for some time!”