If only the Black Lives Matter movement was led by a white supermodel, then maybe we could all just get along.
This is the vision that was presented in Pepsi’s new ad that featured reality TV star, Kendall Jenner. Last Wednesday, it was finally pulled out because it met widespread denunciation. According to the critics, the drink giant depicted a nationwide protest movement following the latest police relations involving African-Americans.
Last Wednesday, Pepsi released a statement: “Pepsi’s intention was to project a message of peace, unity, and understanding on a global scale. Clearly, we’ve missed the mark. For that, we apologize. We did not plan to resurface serious issues. We will remove the advert and halt any further rollout. Furthermore, we apologize to Kendall Jenner for putting her in this position.”
The ad did not reveal the reasons why the attractive, smiling demonstrators were in the middle of the street. The only clues that were given were placards that said “join the conversation,” “love,” and “peace.”
Jenner, who was in a photo shoot, decided to join the marchers. Protesters in the ad were break dancing and smiling but this struck a nerve with audiences, being a far cry from the actual demonstrations that broke out across the country over the years.
In Pepsi’s version, racial protests appear to be a party where people can hang out. The supermodel fist bumped an activist and then went on to grab a can of soda from a readily available ice bucket. At the ad’s climax, Jenner reached the protest’s front line calmly, spotted an officer, and walked up to him. Then gave him the Pepsi she was holding and he smiled as he sipped it. A woman who wore a Muslim headscarf and a nose ring then took photographs of the two and everybody cheered. This scene caused the most uproar from critics.
Pepsi is being accused of appropriating a racial protest just to sell a soft drink.
According to activist DeRay McKesson, the ad trivialized the urgency of a very serious issue. He went on to say it even diminished the message of said protests, and gravity of the situation is nearly forgotten in the company’s bid to sell soft drinks.
McKesson was an activist who protested in Ferguson right after the Michael Brown incident. He believes that there is still an issue with Pepsi’s apology.
“The brand did not apologize to the people who have protested and organized protests for years. They did not apologize to those who’ve dedicated their lives and time to making any wrong right. There is so much that’s at stake here, including people’s lives,” said McKesson in an interview.
The ad also drew criticism from Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s youngest daughter, Bernice King. On Twitter, she posted a photo of her father in a peaceful protest while being pushed by the police. It was captioned: “If only daddy knew Pepsi’s power.” Pepsi, in turn, responded to King directly saying that they meant no disrespect to Dr. King.
