MrBeast turns Coldplay’s viral “kiss-cam” into a ticket giveaway

Youtuber MrBeast jumped on the Coldplay kiss-cam meme-fest with an offer for two tickets to see the band on tour through his social media page. (Screenshot of MrBeast post on X)
Youtuber MrBeast jumped on the Coldplay kiss-cam meme-fest with an offer for two tickets to see the band on tour through his social media page. (Screenshot of MrBeast post on X)

YouTube billionaire Jimmy “MrBeast” Donaldson leveraged the internet’s latest corporate-soap-opera for a fresh burst of virality, dangling two VIP seats to Coldplay’s Music of the Spheres tour. To enter, fans simply had to tag their boss in the replies to his post on X (formerly Twitter) — and brace for a possible close-up.

“I bought two VIP Coldplay tickets and one random person that tags their boss in the replies will win them! (if you win watch out for the Jumbotron),” Donaldson wrote on July 17, a not-so-subtle nod to the drama that erupted on the Gillette Stadium video board the night before.

It wound up getting around 10,000 comments over the weekend.

The kiss-cam moment that launched a thousand memes

During Coldplay’s July 16 show at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Mass., the venue’s “kiss cam” zeroed in on two concertgoers who appeared less than eager to lock lips. Online sleuths quickly identified the pair as Andy Byron, chief executive of data-infrastructure firm Astronomer, and the company’s chief people officer, Kristin Cabot. The clip went viral — more than 40 million views within 48 hours — after Coldplay front-man Chris Martin quipped from the stage, “Either they’re having an affair or they’re just very shy.”

The internet has been absolutely on fire with memes related to the moment ever since, and Chris Martin indirectly referred to the ubiquitous cultural moment at the band’s next concert – offering those who might not want to be featured a heads up that the kiss cam was coming.

@sonia.gogan

Coldplay Chris Martin did not mention the CEO at the Madison show following Boston last week. He did give much of a warning to fans, and reccomended they do their makeup if they haven’t already… makes me wonder why the CEO and CPO thought maybe we shouldn’t hug right now.. #coldplay #coldplayconcert #madisonwisconsin #uwmadison #coldplayaffair #affair #astronomerceo

♬ original sound – Sonia Gogan

Corporate fallout

Byron and Cabot, both reportedly married to other people, were placed on administrative leave as Astronomer’s board opened an internal probe. “We are conducting a review to determine the facts and evaluate any potential breaches of our internal code of conduct. We take matters of integrity and accountability seriously,” the company said in a statement issued last week.

Donaldson’s giveaway capitalizes on that awkward spotlight, with a contest mechanic that practically invites more workplace-relationship jokes. Within hours, thousands of users piled into the replies, tagging supervisors, HR reps and, in several cases, the Astronomer corporate account itself.

Coldplay Upcoming Concerts and Ticket Prices

Coldplay’s Music of the Spheres tour has three shows left in the U.S. this week before heading to the band’s native UK. Tickets for Coldplay’s at Nissan Stadium in Nashville start at around $500 per seat on resale marketplaces like Ticket Club. This weekend’s 2-night stand at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens have ticket prices starting at about $650 for Saturday night and $540 for Sunday’s U.S. leg finale.

After a three week break, Coldplay’s tour will resume with two shows in Hull on August 18 and 19, then go out with a bang with 10 concerts at London’s Wembley Stadium concluding on Monday, September 8.

(Date | City | Average ticket price)

Links go to TicketClub – a ticket resale marketplace. Readers at TicketNews can enjoy a free 1-year trial membership for the platform by using code TICKETNEWS to create their account.