Pepsi Pulls Offensive Kendall Jenner Ad, Apologizes: 'We Missed the Mark'
Less than 24 hours after unveiling what many consider to be a controversial ad campaign, Pepsi is admitting defeat, pulling down the video and apologizing to star Kendall Jenner.
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“Pepsi was trying to project a global message of unity, peace and understanding,” the company said Wednesday in a statement. “Clearly, we missed the mark, and we apologize. We did not intend to make light of any serious issue. We are pulling the content and halting any further rollout. We also apologize for putting Kendall Jenner in this position.”
If you have no idea what we’re talking about — and given the short shelf life of the ad in question, we can’t blame you — here’s the gist: Pepsi on Tuesday released a “short film” in which Jenner joins/leads a large group of young protesters, resulting in a police standoff that can only be de-escalated by — you guessed it — the power of Pepsi.
The ad was considered problematic, not to mention straight-up confusing, for a number of reasons. Among them, many viewers felt the ad was co-opting an iconic image of Black Lives Matter protester Ieshia Evans.
What are your thoughts on Pepsi’s series of unfortunate events? Drop ’em in a comment below.
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