Reading the Room

Happy Friday,

How was your week?

Sadly, I won't be joining the sea of music lovers at Osheaga this year, but it sounds like half of Montreal will be there! It's amazing to think that over 135,000 people will be descending for a weekend of incredible live music (and waffles). There's a certain magic to a festival, a collective energy that builds with each performance.

It reminds me of seeing Coldplay a few (ok many) years ago. They are masters of the live show, creating a spectacular, shared experience that leaves you buzzing. But sometimes, the most memorable performance isn't the one happening on stage…

Speaking of Coldplay concerts and unexpected drama, let's talk about the masterclass in crisis PR recently put on by the tech company, Astronomer. You might have seen the story: their CEO and Head of HR were caught in a rather awkward embrace on the kiss cam, which went viral faster than you can say "uncomfortable." The fallout was swift, with both executives resigning.

For most brands, this would be a dive-under-the-desk, issue-a-bland-statement kind of moment. Astronomer, in a stroke of genius, decided to choose chaos. 

They decided to make lemonade. Instead of hiding, they enlisted Gwyneth Paltrow—yes, Chris Martin's ex-wife—as a "very temporary spokesperson." In a brilliant video, she deadpans about data workflow automation while hilariously sidestepping the scandal that everyone is thinking about. It was audacious, self-aware, and utterly brilliant.

They didn't just manage the crisis; they hijacked the narrative and turned a moment of corporate embarrassment into a viral marketing win. Instead of a stuffy apology, they chose to:

• Acknowledge the absurdity | By bringing in Paltrow, they winked at the audience, letting us know they were in on the joke.

• Overcorrect with style | They didn't just issue a statement; they produced a high-quality, hilarious piece of content that got everyone talking for all the right reasons.

• Take control | They steered the conversation away from the scandal and towards their brand's cleverness and sense of humour.

In the world of brand building, understanding your audience and the cultural stage you're on is crucial. A lesson that American Eagle seems to have skipped with their latest campaign featuring Sydney Sweeney and her "good jeans".

On paper, you can almost admire the audacity. American Eagle is a brand in decline, with its share price taking a nosedive over the past year (-48.5% vs. last year). In true challenger fashion, it made a bold move. But the campaign completely missed the mark by a landslide.

Why? Because they forgot to ask two fundamental questions: 

• What's the cultural context we're stepping into? 

• And what's our brand's role in it? 

When you're in a cultural moment as polarized as the one we're in right now, wading in with a campaign that hints at superiority with a 2000-late off-tone joke isn't just ethically questionable, it's a terrible business decision. 

This move is even more baffling when you consider American Eagle's past branding. They've built their identity on a foundation of inclusivity, optimism, and diversity. This campaign doesn't just deviate from that; it torches years of brand building in a single execution.

Successful challenger brands understand the assignment.

• Dove challenged the unrealistic beauty standards of the fashion industry, tapping into a global conversation about self-esteem with its "Real Beauty" campaign.

• Patagonia took on consumerism itself, famously telling customers "Don't Buy This Jacket" to highlight its commitment to sustainability and quality.

• Oatly tapped into the growing anxiety around dairy to position itself as the better, more humane alternative.

• Liquid Death saw the hypocrisy of 'pure' bottled water in plastic and waged war on the category, putting mountain water in a recyclable tallboy can and branding it like a heavy metal band..

These brands didn't just sell a product; they sold a point of view. They understood the cultural conversation and carved out a meaningful role for themselves within it.

The Sip Takeaway

The Astronomer incident is a powerful lesson for all of us in brand building. 

It teaches us that when things go wrong, playing it safe is often the riskiest move you can make. Sometimes, the best response is to lean into the chaos, have a laugh at your own expense, and put on a performance that no one will forget. 

The American Eagle fumble is a stark reminder that creativity without cultural awareness is a recipe for disaster. 

I do worry that this will scare other brands from taking the right kind of risks, the kind that push culture forward and challenge the status quo. The world doesn't need more beige, pre-tested, safe sludge; we need brands with the guts to pick good fights, be part of the conversation and stand for something. 

Never miss the opportunity of a good crisis  (just not the self-inflicted kind).

See you next week!