Pepsi’s New Ad Receives An Avalanche Of Backlash For Its Poor Execution
Earlier today, beverage brand Pepsi released a three-minute advert featuring model Kendall Jenner in her natural habitat as she ditches her photo shoots (and blonde wig) to join an ongoing protest.
A release made by the brand states that the spot stands as part of a campaign titled ‘Live For Now’—to live life “unbounded, unfiltered and uninhibited.”
In the beginning of the advert, the story seems decent—with various people of different ethnicities and backgrounds, including Jenner, coming together in the fight for peace and equality. Things take a turn towards the end when Jenner is seen handing an open can of Pepsi to a riot guard on duty. Cheers of joy and victory erupt from the crowd when the guard accepts Jenner’s offer and takes a long sip at the drink.
Social media, though, was definitely not chiming along to the irrelevant and tone-deaf advert.
In the act of promoting its beliefs, Pepsi has clearly failed tremendously. The video starkly showcases countless political references against the current administration, co-opting movements such as ‘#BlackLivesMatter’ and featuring various ethnicities coming in unison. Certainly, the idea of raising awareness to such issues was clear, but the execution of the ending has been deemed outrageous.
Pepsi has stood by its commercial and told Adweek, “This is a global ad that reflects people from different walks of life coming together in a spirit of harmony, and we think that’s an important message to convey.”
What do you think? Has Pepsi done poorly in its marketing or are the negative comments short of validity?
As of Wednesday morning, Pepsi has decided to pull the ad from all of its official sites.
Below lies the controversial advert published onto Kendall and Kylie Jenner’s YouTube channel, along with highlights of the responses from Twitter.
You can also see the most hilarious responses to the ad here.
and to think, all rodney king needed to avoid that beating was a pepsi
— Ziwe (@ziwe) April 5, 2017
Tweet via ziwe
i get it now. if black lives matter protesters would've handed a pepsi to the cops they wouldnt of gotten tear gassed. it's so clear now.
— quinta b. (@quintabrunson) April 4, 2017
Tweet via quintabrunson
"Wow, I just solved all the problems in the country by being rich and thin and white and pretty. What else should I do today?" pic.twitter.com/vZiAgrkmaF
— Olivia A. Cole (@RantingOwl) April 4, 2017
Tweet via RantingOwl
the new @Pepsi ad evoking imagery of @IeshiaEvans in Baton Rouge is total exploitative brand social activism bs 👋🏼 pic.twitter.com/YzAFtWEzDO
— Sherry (@slchen_) April 4, 2017
Tweet via slchen_
[via Adweek, video via Kendall and Kylie, tweets via various sources]
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