Pepsi's new ad that features Kendal Jenner has kickstarted a new controversy on the social media pages. The two and half minute video has been gaining negative views and even the beverage giant came out with an official statement to clarify their stand.
In the video, the "Keeping Up with the Kardashians" star leaves from the middle of her photo shoot (ripping off her wig and make) to join a multi-racial street protest that comprises of young people chanting slogans against some unnamed injustice. Have tacos been banned? Did Mumford & Sons break up? Did the bar run out of IPAs? It's maddeningly unclear. Kendal joins the crowd and the protest reaches its threshold line of angry cops. The tension is then broken by a tin of Pepsi!
According to Star Telegram, as of Wednesday morning, the ad had 1.2 million views with nearly 20,000 voting down and only around 3600 voting approval. The report opined, "There seems to be general outrage that the message seems to be that our societal ills can be solved by a rich TV star handing out sugary drinks to law enforcement."
The outcry over the ad became a trending topic overnight and even Pepsi issued a public statement. "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 statement read, according to Adweek.
In a similar statement to Teen Vouge, it said, "The creative showcases a moment of unity, and a point where multiple story lines 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."
However, the statement was not able to stop the netizens from reacting on the networking sites and Pepsi seems to be in real trouble. Following the controversy, the beverage giant has decided to pull off the commercial from all media.
