By Anastasia Cottone
Staff Writer
Recently, an ad for PepsiCo. Inc. products was released which caused a lot of controversy on the internet. The ad, which featured Kendall Jenner, a reality TV star and model, portrayed an imitation of the recent protests and marches that have been happening across our country.
While Pepsi’s goal was apparently to create an image of peace and unity among all by bringing everyone together, almost no one received it that way. According to Wired.com, the only success the ad managed to accomplish was that it completely united the internet on one thing: the ad was distasteful.
The ad begins with Jenner modelling at a photo shoot. She realizes that there is a protest going on in the streets and rips off her wig, ditches her photo shoot and joins the protest. After a brief moment cheering with her fellow protestors, Jenner approaches a stoic police officer and hands him a Pepsi. He cracks it open and (poof!) just like that, Pepsi has brought everyone together in peace and unity. The protestors cheer and the police officers laugh.
There are numerous problems with this ad. While in a perfect world, a Pepsi could have the ability to bring an entire nation together, we do not live in such a world. Although Pepsi thought that it was promoting the idea of world peace, the way they went about this commercial was distasteful.
Not only does the ad make light of recent protests that have been happening all over our country, it also implies that all of our country’s problems could be fixed with a Pepsi. According to Watercutter, a senior editor at Wired.com, the message that this ad gives off is this: the recent Women’s Marches, Black Lives Matter Protests and demonstrations outside Trump Tower “would have been much more effervescent – and effective – if someone had just brought some soda.” It is demeaning and belittling to those who have worked so hard to make their voices heard in our country .
After much backlash from the public, Pepsi withdrew its ad and made a public apology for the inappropriate message the ad sent. Jenner, on the other hand, remained silent throughout the entire blowup and never commented on the negative reactions that the commercial caused.
In her article, Watercutter said, “[A]ctivist DeRay Mckesson called it ‘trash’, adding ‘[I]f I had carried Pepsi, I guess I never would’ve gotten arrested. Who knew?’” Mckesson brings up a very relevant point. Obviously, having a Pepsi with him would not have changed the fact that he was arrested for voicing his opinion, which is yet another way Pepsi demeaned and belittled protestors everywhere.
Although the idea was one that came from good intentions, Pepsi really missed the mark with this ad. Making light of recent cultural events was not the right avenue to take – unfortunately, Pepsi did not catch its mistake until the entire internet did.
