Ryan Reynolds‘ comments on Gwyneth Paltrow‘s Astronomer PSA became a case study in quick brand triage. In a new WSJ CMO Council Summit Q&A, the “Deadpool” lead star explained how he tapped Paltrow hours after the Coldplay kiss cam scandal put Astronomer in the headlines. He said his ad shop, Maximum Effort, moved first while approvals caught up. The goal, he noted, was to shift focus back to the product. Paltrow, as a temporary spokesperson for Astronomer, did exactly that.
Ryan Reynolds talks about getting Gwyneth Paltrow to star in Astronomer PSA
As per PEOPLE, Ryan Reynolds said in a new WSJ CMO Council Summit Q&A that he quickly greenlit the concept of Gwyneth Paltrow starring in the Astronomer PSA following the Coldplay kiss cam scandal. He recalled, “Just 14 hours later, I’m paying for that, [and I didn’t] have their blessing yet.” Reynolds added, “But I [knew] that nobody at that time … knew what Astronomer does. So I was like, ‘What if Gwyneth explained it?’”
The father of four also praised the client. “It turns out, Astronomer’s an amazing company,” he said. “They really do some amazing stuff.” Yet speed mattered more than polish. “It was a real opportunity for them to take the conversation away from where it was, which was quite toxic, I think,” Reynolds said. He wanted the message to feel “fun and easy and emotional and lovely.”
Context came from the Coldplay concert’s kiss cam scandal in July. Astronomer’s CEO Andy Byron was filmed with HR executive Kristin Cabot. Paltrow’s ex-husband and the lead of the band, Chris Martin, joked on stage about an affair. Byron and Cabot later allegedly stepped down, with the company saying its leaders must meet standards of conduct.
Then came the fix. In the PSA, the “Marty Supreme” star told viewers, “I’ve been hired on a very temporary basis to speak on behalf of the 300-plus employees at Astronomer.” She noted the company had received “a lot of questions.” However, she swerved the viral gossip. Finally, she signed off, “We will now be returning to what we do best, which is delivering game-changing results for our customers. Thank you for your interest in Astronomer.”
Therefore, Reynolds‘ Astronomer crisis management strategy reframed the narrative. The MCU star hiring fellow MCU actor, who plays Tony Stark’s love interest Pepper Potts on-screen, for a PSA turned a tabloid moment into a product explainer.
