Suzanne Vranica

Tech company Astronomer is trying to move on from its Coldplay concert kiss-cam scandal with the help of a Madison Avenue powerhouse known for his sense of humor.

Actor Ryan Reynolds's marketing firm, Maximum Effort, created a lighthearted advertisement to help repair Astronomer's brand and shift the public's focus to its actual business, rather than its leaders' extracurricular activities.

The minute-long video features actress Gwyneth Paltrow, the former wife of Coldplay frontman Chris Martin, as Astronomer's new "very temporary spokesperson." Paltrow cuts off typed questions including "OMG! What the actual f" and "How is your social media team holding," humorously sidestepping the scandal while highlighting Astronomer's core product features.

"We've been thrilled so many people have a newfound interest in data workflow automation," she says. "We will now be returning to what we do best: delivering game-changing results for our customers."

A spokesperson for Maximum Effort confirmed it worked with Astronomer, but declined to comment further. Astronomer didn't respond to a request for comment.

Earlier this month, Astronomer entered the cultural zeitgeist when its then-Chief Executive Andy Byron was seen on a video screen at Gillette Stadium near Boston canoodling with Chief People Officer Kristin Cabot. The company investigated, and both executives resigned.

Paltrow's video quickly went viral, garnering more than 36 million views on X and more than 540,000 views on YouTube since being posted late Friday.

"Deadpool" star Reynolds co-founded Maximum Effort in 2018, and has used it for marketing some of his own brands including Aviation Gin and Mint Mobile. Other notable spots include an advertisement for dating app Match, showing Satan falling in love with a woman named 2020 as the world crumbles around them. That ad, dubbed Match Made in Hell, racked up 11 million YouTube views.

Reynolds has come to the rescue after other cringey moments in corporate America. Maximum Effort helped Peloton spin a public-relations crisis into a marketing win in 2021, producing a witty response after HBO Max's "Sex and the City" reboot killed off the character Mr. Big via a heart attack after a Peloton workout. The plot twist left viewers reeling, and many associated the death with Peloton's bikes. Peloton's stock sank.

Within 48 hours, Peloton had enlisted Reynolds's team to craft a spot that showed Chris Noth, who played Mr. Big, lounging by a fire with Peloton instructor Jess King, who plays Allegra in the series.

"To new beginnings," Noth toasts, suggesting they take another bike ride. That ad was pulled after sexual misconduct allegations against Noth surfaced.

Maximum's work with Astronomer and Peloton showcases a shift in crisis communication in the social-media age, with companies forced to respond faster to public-relations disasters that can escalate on a global stage within minutes. The goal has evolved beyond mere damage control to creating moments that are just as viral as the original crises.

Reynolds's approach "allows people to both understand the issue and, in some cases, laugh along," said marketing executive Harris Diamond, who led public-relations firm Weber Shandwick for more than a decade.

Write to Suzanne Vranica at Suzanne.Vranica@wsj.com

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

July 28, 2025 14:22 ET (18:22 GMT)

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