Fast food giant Wendy’s is making headlines again, this time due to the backlash it received following remarks about pop star Katy Perry’s space travel. Back in April, Wendy’s stirred controversy when it tweeted jokes about Perry’s 11-minute sub-orbital flight with Blue Origin. As a result of these jabs, Bradford Cobb, Perry’s longtime manager, has recently taken to social media to celebrate Wendy’s announcement of closing between 200 and 350 locations as part of a corporate turnaround strategy under interim CEO Ken Cook.
On November 7th, CNN reported on the potential closures, leading Cobb to share a graphic from KTLA on his Instagram Stories, seemingly reveling in the fast-food chain’s predicament. This turns out to be a continuation of the feud, as Wendy’s had previously mocked Perry’s return to Earth with a tweet asking, “Can we send her back?” following her landing, and another post sarcastically commenting on her kissing the ground after the flight.
In an effort to smooth over the situation, Wendy’s later issued an apology, expressing their respect for Perry and her talent. However, it appears the damage was done, as Perry has publicly addressed her critics, referring to them as “unhinged and unhealed,” which may have included the fast-food brand.
In an interesting twist, Cobb’s post might also be a strategic move to promote Perry’s new single, “bandaid,” which was released on the same day but garnered only modest attention with 3.5 million streams on Spotify.
Wendy’s and Katy Perry’s clash provides a vivid example of the intersection between celebrity culture and corporate branding, illustrating how social media interactions can have real-world consequences, both for individuals and companies alike. This incident serves as a reminder of the potential pitfalls of online banter and the lasting impact it can have on public perception.