The Biggest PR Fails of 2025, And What We Can Learn From Them
If 2025 proved anything, it’s that reputations aren’t ruined by mistakes alone, but by how brands handle them. It was a year of viral misunderstandings and legal meltdowns, and a truth that KC Projects preaches was brought to the forefront: speed, clarity, and cultural awareness are everything.
Below, we’re unpacking the most memorable PR missteps of the year, what went wrong, and how KC Projects would have handled them differently.
American Eagle’s “Great Jeans” Campaign: Wordplay Gone Wrong
What should have been a clever, playful pun turned into a cultural flashpoint for American Eagle (AE). The brand’s “great jeans / genes” campaign with actress Sydney Sweeney was quickly interpreted in a way that struck the wrong chord with audiences. The backlash spread across social media platforms, fueled by more than 3,000 negative news stories and a massive dip in sales for AE.
The brand’s initial response (“It’s about the jeans”) came across as offhand and that tone only angered the masses more.
The takeaway: In 2025, cultural awareness isn’t optional. Even the most seemingly harmless copy needs a check for sensitivity. When audiences misinterpret your message, it’s best to acknowledge, clarify, and course-correct early on.
How KC Projects would have handled it: We’d recommend an empathetic acknowledgment with a quick turnaround time, followed by transparent insight into the original intent. When you lean into real discussion, instead of defensiveness, you can diffuse tension and rebuild trust.
Justin Baldoni vs. Blake Lively: How Too Much PR Can Backfire
In the midst of the filming and release of the movie adaption of Colleen Hoover’s It Ends With Us, a private legal dispute between actors Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni exploded into a full-blown media saga. The story escalated quickly: lawsuits, countersuits, anonymous leaks, planted articles, social media statements, and strategic narrative pushing from both sides.
Audiences quickly saw past it, and the spectacle became exhausting. Both stars lost credibility and suffered reputation damage. One report estimated the combined legal and PR efforts reached nearly $400 million, a big price tag for a preventable scandal.
The takeaway: For the most part, personal disputes don’t need the PR spotlight. Over-managing a crisis can become the crisis. Consistent, minimal, and factual communication protects credibility far more than dueling to get the last word.
How KC Projects would have handled it: Don’t feed the drama flames! Craft a single unified statement, and then handle the issue privately after that.
Astronomer’s Coldplay Concert Crisis: Silence Isn’t a Strategy
You can never predict what a PR crisis will spark from, but a kiss cam at a Coldplay concert is definitely an unexpected starting point. When the camera caught Astronomer’s CEO and Chief People Officer looking *very* cozy, the clip went viral immediately. The company, however, stayed quiet for more than 52 hours – not a good look.
By waiting so long to make any kind of statement, the internet filled in the gap for the company with fake apology videos, AI-generated statements, and doctored screenshots. When Astronomer finally acknowledged the incident, confirming the executives had been placed on leave, it was too late. The narrative had already spun out of their control, eventually ending with the CEO’s resignation.
The takeaway: When a crisis hits, staying silent only amplifies the problem. If you don’t talk, the internet will talk for you, and it won’t be accurate.
How KC Projects would have handled it: First things first, immediately communicate with your team so employees hear the truth from you, instead of on TikTok. Be on high watch for misinformation while you draft a consistent, empathetic message to calm the situation. When keyboard warriors move fast, your response has to move faster.
The Common Threads: Why PR Crises Spiral
Across all these examples, 2025’s PR disasters reveal a few universal themes:
Cultural consciousness matters – even a tagline can become a breaking point.
Silence is its own statement. Waiting “until you know everything” often worsens the damage.
Internal and external alignment is non-negotiable. Chaos sparks when employees and the public hear different narratives.
Authenticity beats legal or corporate jargon. People want clarity, empathy, and accountability.
Virality is unpredictable, but your preparedness shouldn’t be.
How KC Projects Helps Brands Stay Ready
Crisis moments aren’t mindful of business hours. At KC Projects, we help brands stay prepared with:
Crisis communication playbooks tailored to your organization
Real-time monitoring to track sentiment and stop misinformation at the source
Immediate response strategies that protect your reputation before the narrative runs away
Executive media training to ensure leadership communicates with confidence
Internal communication frameworks that keep your team informed and aligned
A crisis doesn’t define your brand, but your response does.
This year’s PR fails are textbook examples that prove agility and authenticity win every time. Whether it’s a meme, a misunderstanding, or a massive misstep, brands that focus on listening to their audience and moving with intention will bounce back. And those that don’t will become next year’s case studies!
If your brand is ready to strengthen its crisis plan or build one before you need it, KC Projects is here to help you stay ahead of the headline.
By Georgia McGee