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Brands awkwardly try to pay tribute to Prince

Some of the brands that tweeted about Prince's death came off genuine. Others not so much.

Patrick Kulp

on April 21, 2016

Original image has been replaced. Credit: Mashable

With so many high-profile celebrity deaths already this year, 2016 has forced the Internet to really perfect the way it mourns fallen icons.

There's the digging up of old archival footage, the run-downs of memorable moments, and the heartfelt tributes from other celebrities and anyone else who might have crossed paths with the star.

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But one of the less welcome parts of this outpouring of remembrance comes from the social media marketers of major brands, who seem to feel obligated to pitch in with product-placement condolences.

Music legend Prince's untimely death on Thursday was no different.

Tasked with keeping brands in the mix of any cultural conversation, marketers of all stripes blasted out (and in some cases, later deleted) their own purple-clad tributes to the beloved musician.

They weren't all greeted with derision of course. Minnesota-based companies, music brands and other businesses with a clear connection to Prince have a legitimate reason to speak on his death. And other brands were able to pull off subtle and thoughtful messages that didn't come off as exploitative.

But some brands seemed to be leeching on to a genuine moment of emotion for advertising purposes. Cheerios and alcoholic drink brand Four Lokos were among those that later thought better of posts and deleted them.

Here are some of the brands who paid tribute to Prince on Thursday:

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Patrick Kulp

Patrick Kulp is a Business Reporter at Mashable. Patrick covers digital advertising, online retail and the future of work. A graduate of UC Santa Barbara with a degree in political science and economics, he previously worked at the Pacific Coast Business Times.