UPDATE:

On Wednesday afternoon, Pepsi announced it was pulling the ad:

ORIGINAL POST:

Some people would say there’s no such thing as bad publicity, but the backlash surrounding Pepsi’s new ‘protest’ commercial starring Kendall Jenner is pretty scathing. Within a day of premiering, the new ad – which seemingly depicts Jenner joining a protest and solving racial tensions with a police officer with a can of Pepsi – is being torn to shreds online.

 

Commenters online have labelled the spot as “a tone-deaf attempt to co-opt a movement of political resistance”, but judge for yourself here:

 

Does the full-length ad will help give it more context?

 

 

Here are some of the responses to the controversial ad:

 

 

 

 

 

Pepsi has released a statement following the backlash on social media :

“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…the creative showcases a moment of unity, and a point where multiple storylines converge in the final advert. It depicts various groups of people embracing a spontaneous moment, and showcasing Pepsi’s brand rallying cry to ‘Live For Now,’ in an exploration of what that truly means to live life unbounded, unfiltered and uninhibited.”

 

 

 

 

-Kevin and Sonia 
KiSS Mornings
www.facebook.com/KevinAndSonia

Filed under: Ad, kendall-jenner, Kevin and Sonia, pepsi