Follow Us
UPDATE: Pepsi Apologies for Ad That Shows Kendall Jenner Ending Racism With a Pepsi
Update, April 5, 2:19 p.m. ET:
After receiving major backlash for their new ad, Pepsi issued an apology and promised to pull the commercial.
— Pepsi™ (@pepsi) April 5, 2017
Meanwhile, the #PepsiLivesMatter hashtag is flourishing.
====
Pepsi dropped a new commercial today (April 4) featuring reality television personality Kendall Jenner, protestors of color, law enforcement officers and a can of Pepsi.
In the nearly three-minute-long spot, Jenner sees a massive action while she's in the middle of a photo shoot. Encouraged by a cute, Brown activist, she whips off her platinum blonde lace front, magically changes into denim and joins the nondescript protest. She then presents a cop with a Pepsi, which not only makes the crowd yell with excitement, but prompts the cop to give a Kanye shrug that signals his newfound sympathy for the oppressed.
Twitter was, of course, not here for the "message" or the corporate brand's use of protest imagery to sell soda. Here's just a smattering of the criticsm that quickly followed the commercial's debut.
@KrisJenner @KendallJenner @pepsi that's it, kendall just fixed all social injustices. bless.
— Missing Link (@MissngLnk) April 4, 2017
*kendall jenner hands cop a pepsi*
— BRANDON WARDELL (@BRANDONWARDELL) April 4, 2017
cop: im not racist anymore
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
Next time @pepsi do one where Kendall Jenner marches to Montgomery but the cops don't bludgeon her bc she's white & has a refreshing @pepsi
— Jia Tolentino (@jiatolentino) April 4, 2017
one of these things is not like the others. #pepsi pic.twitter.com/BlozlTCouV
— soph ?️? (@soufex) April 4, 2017
Also FUCK that Jenner/Pepsi campaign! Black ppl & low income communities are maligned for drinking/eating sweets but now it's for justice???
— lonelygrill15 (@pterosaur) April 4, 2017
Next Pepsi ad: "Kendall offers Pepsi to ICE agents to keep them hydrated as they burn down houses that didn't 'open up' during sweeps."
— Luisa Haynes (@wokeluisa) April 4, 2017
When Kendall gives the cops a Pepsi it's all good, but when my Black friends protest nonviolently they're "thugs & criminals". pic.twitter.com/MnzNk3f5rs
— Vinay A. Ramesh (@vinaytion) April 4, 2017
So I'm drinking @Coke now. @pepsi is cancelled.
— BlkPhilosophersStone (@HarmonyEliana) April 4, 2017
Pepsi's advertising meeting to the executive board tomorrow pic.twitter.com/dwaWFrXY68
— Black Girl Nerds (@BlackGirlNerds) April 4, 2017
Watch it above and tell us what you think.