Prince is dead. But if there’s one thing his highness truly enjoyed in life, it was brands and corporations profiting off his likeness.
To that end, we salute these professional social media teams for their timely, heartfelt, and appropriate tributes, which we will now rank:
Top Tier: Threadless, Bing, Lenovo, NASA, Spotify
Can’t get too mad about these, they seem pretty genuine. But it’s OK to say this stuff on your personal accounts instead. We’re not looking to Bing for answers right now, and we can’t imagine Prince using a search engine.
"Sometimes I wish that life was never ending, but all good things, they say, never last." – Prince pic.twitter.com/ilf4PcDcWN
— Threadless (@threadless) April 21, 2016
There will never be another like you, Prince. Thank you for the music. pic.twitter.com/blhX9kx1HH
— Bing (@bing) April 21, 2016
He embodied so much of what we prize most: fearlessness, love and a refusal to stand still. RIP, @Prince.
— Lenovo (@Lenovo) April 21, 2016
A purple nebula, in honor of Prince, who passed away today. https://t.co/7buFWWExMw pic.twitter.com/ONQDwSQwVa
— NASA (@NASA) April 21, 2016
We join the world in mourning the loss of a genius, a legend, and an inspiration to generations of artists and fans. pic.twitter.com/nd5OgLcRdl
— Spotify (@Spotify) April 21, 2016
I’m not convinced these brands really give a shit about Prince—their grief is a bit generic. Don’t feel great about the integration of your logos and mascots, either.
We are saddened today at the news of Prince's passing. His music meant so much to so many. pic.twitter.com/qMpnSO5zIq
— TiVo (@TiVo) April 21, 2016
Prince was a true original and a Minnesota icon. We will miss him dearly.
— Best Buy (@BestBuy) April 21, 2016
— 3M (@3M) April 21, 2016
#RIP Prince pic.twitter.com/XogyJN4ftN
— NVIDIA (@nvidia) April 21, 2016
Delete Your Account: Maker’s Mark, Four Loko, Getty Images, Cheerios
You fucking serious with this shit? Trying to catch the viral sadness wave? Plastering your product directly onto a cultural tragedy? OK then!
— Maker's Mark (@MakersMark) April 21, 2016
https://twitter.com/k_a_r_a_h/status/723265373466955776
Often imitated, never duplicated. #Prince https://t.co/07gxbfFGvV pic.twitter.com/eNSiqnZ26S
— Getty Images (@GettyImages) April 21, 2016
Rip, from the cereal pic.twitter.com/e8rh34Ujpn
— Dolphin Pilot (@TheAmitie) April 21, 2016
Beyond Saving: Sharon Stone
Sharon, you hashtagged this tweet with your own name. FYI.
Anyway, at least Cinnabon understands.
@MilesKlee Our swirls are big enough to console them. pic.twitter.com/Glr4Wc3NCj
— Cinnabon (@Cinnabon) April 21, 2016