The Coldplay scandal is everywhere right now, and it’s tempting to jump on the bandwagon, especially when it’s being shared for laughs.

But here’s the thing: there are real people at the centre of it, and real hurt. Do you really want to align your brand with someone else’s personal fallout?

One jewellery brand (madano_nyc) went viral posting the video with this accompanying copy:

“Some mistakes need more than an apology—they need sparkle.”

It’s bold. It’s sassy. And you can easily recognise their strategy to align with a trend and infuse humour into their product so people will share.

But it also raises the question: Do you want your brand associated with someone else’s pain to gain visibility?

And layered over all of this is a torrent of AI-generated content - fake apologies, edited videos, and made-up quotes. It’s hard to tell what’s real anymore, and the damage spreads fast.

When your brand joins the pile-on, even indirectly, you risk being part of that harm.

This is where brand messaging clarity matters. When you know what you and your business stand for, it’s easier to decide what to engage with and what to leave alone.

It’s easy to get swept up in a trend. But not every moment needs your brand in it. Sometimes, the smartest move is knowing when to scroll on by.