(I'm so sorry, please don't fire me.)
It seems tech mogul Mark Zuckerberg is desperately trying to beat the robot lizard villain allegations.
And, well, it just might be working.
The internet has gone wild over pictures posted on Zuck's birthday, where he's seen sporting an oversized graphic tee and gold chain. He also seems to have (literally) let his hair down, wearing a looser, longer curl than his usual short haircut.
We can't deny the hate train that we've all been on for the last ten years, one that headed directly toward the Meta founder and CEO. From the way he speaks to the way he looks to the way his metaverse avatar looks, Zuckerburg hasn't been able to catch a break.
But recently, I've been noticing a little bit of an upgrade in his fit game. (I'm not saying he's a fashion icon, but it's an improvement from the classic CEO "I'm too busy and serious to care uniform," okay?)
He was spotted in Japan wearing this shearling jacket (not bad).
He wore CUSTOM Alexander McQueen to a wedding in March.
And he now rocks a chain, which caught the internet's attention after he posted a video to Instagram. This resulted in some hilarious memes, with someone editing a beard onto Zuck. The jokes exploded across X, stating he "went from mister steal your data to steal your girl."
Zuck is attempting a huge PR turnaround.
Think about it this way. Companies often try to position their executives as the relatable human embodiments of their brand. What's happening here is no different. Zuck's trying to show he's just a down to earth guy.
Is it a coincidence that the man is currently staring down one of the largest crises he's ever faced (and there's been a few)? Meta's currently being sued by 41 states over the myriad of ways it's harmed its younger users.
This rebrand is a PR strategy which he's hoping will have a halo effect on the company.
At the moment, his rebrand does seem to be turning heads. Many journos are fawning over his "PR moment" right now.
If anything, this highlights the importance of personal brand and the use of PR as an incredible distraction.
