Kendall Jenner could arguably be labeled as the least controversial of the Kardashian-Jenner clan, until this week. The twenty-one year old teamed up with soda pop company, Pepsi, to create a new advertisement. Criticism on the commercial spread like wildfire in the Twitter-verse with many arguing the ad was just as tone-deaf as it was offensive to the Black Lives Matter movement. The commercial features the supermodel joining in a marching protest – not to mention a protest that is at times shot behind trendy brunches – which ends facing opposite to a line of police. Jenner casually, and with ease, hands a Pepsi drink to one of the police officers, who looks to his fellow comrades as if in surrender. The ad was suppose to be inspiring but rather left majority of the public cringing.
Done with #PEPSI. I don’t care that you took down the ad. I care that you made it in the first place. #BlueLivesMatter. Remember that. I do.
— LifeisGood (@Lifeis_Charmed) April 5, 2017
If you want to capitalize on messages of unity, peace and understanding, firstly prove that you care. #Pepsi #PepsiMoment
— Jeetendr Sehdev (@JeetendrSehdev) April 5, 2017
Our fight for liberation is not for sale. No thanks #Pepsi pic.twitter.com/P6j2VxRVdc
— morgan (@Yeahmorgs) April 5, 2017
But some people don’t think the ad was as offensive as was the lack of attention on other issues in the world:
This week a #Pepsi Advert got more attention n the media than a ChemicalAttack that killed children in #Syria. This is the world we live in
— Habibies (@Habibies) April 6, 2017
The ad left others longing for simpler times:
Most ICONIC Pepsi Commercial Of All Time🗣 #PEPSI pic.twitter.com/s7fpKnGp2n
— Royal Goddess 🌹✨ (@babyyti) April 8, 2017
Reminiscing about the days when #thedress was the biggest controversy in our country. #trumprussia #SpicerHistory #united #pepsi pic.twitter.com/VjDvdHyHJL
— Brian Ray (@brianrayguitar) April 12, 2017
I have to admit that the first time I saw this commercial, I didn’t think it’s a bad one. Because from a creative production perspective, the quality of the execution was not bad. Also it took me a while to understand why there were so many people who hate this ad. Because I never had experience about protest or march before so I didn’t the cultural controversy here. But after I understood it, I think it’s important for advertisers and advertising agency to think multiple times on an idea when it has political or culture issues involved. The brand needs to show they care about the people.