For subscribers
Commentary
ColdplayGate meme fodder isn’t an opportunity for a marketing campaign
When a family crisis becomes a trending hashtag, it marks an ethical line brands shouldn’t cross.
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox
Many brands in the West couldn’t resist quips and memes, tying their products to the drama almost immediately.
PHOTOS: AFP, INSTAAGRAACE/TIKTOK
Charlotte Ma
Follow topic:
It was a personal disaster and a public relations catastrophe. The digital tsunami that engulfed the CEO of tech firm Astronomer and his HR chief after a “kiss cam” moment at a Coldplay concert
The moment that was broadcast to a stadium and then, within hours, to the world, became “ColdplayGate”, a trending hashtag, a source of endless memes, and a brutal public spectacle.
