Pepsi’s latest ad campaign has garnered equal amounts of damage and free publicity following a public backlash claiming it trivialises the Black Lives Matter movement.
The ad has since been pulled by Pepsi as a result of the controversy, and Pepsi have put out a statement and public apology.
The star of the ad, Kendall Jenner, is reportedly laying low amidst the controversy of the advertisement which sees her flee a photo shoot after being invited to join a protest by a young man.
As she looks increasingly distracted and uncomfortable in her blonde wig watching the protesters pass her, she throws off the wig and runs to join the crowd.
The ad finishes with Jenner handing a stern-looking police officer a can of Pepsi and the crowd cheering as the officer drinks it with a smile on his face- a simple can of soft drink has brought peace between the opposing crowd and officers.
The advert received heavy criticism since its release early last week for belittling legitimate social justice movements.
However, as with any publicity, Pepsi are still managing to come out on top.
Despite the ad being pulled shortly after its release, it has still been circulating the internet and building itself some handsome and free publicity alongside stories that claim the actors involved are all afraid for the future of their careers.
Pepsi have responded to the criticism by posting a statement on their Twitter which reads “Pepsi was trying to project a global message of unity, peace and understanding”.
“Clearly we missed the mark, and we apologise. We did not intend to make light of any of any serious issue,” said @Pepsi.
“We are removing the content and halting any further rollout. We also apologise for putting Kendall Jenner in this position.”
A source said on behalf of Jenner, that Jenner was very upset and felt terrible over the advertisement.
“To get a Pepsi gig was a big deal. She was very excited,” they said.
“She never expected it to receive such backlash. She hopes people understand that she wasn’t involved in the creative process.”
However, as one creative process is condemned another has arisen from the ashes of the advertisement to immortalise it forever- the humble meme.
Many of the jokes posted on the internet regarding the ad, have been in the form of memes, a modern offering from the internet culture.
Many of the memes pointed out the absurdity of the campaign by using images of famous civil rights activists and protesters.
The main punch line of the jokes being to the tune of ‘I wouldn’t be in such political turmoil if only I had remembered to bring a Pepsi.’
Despite any creative involvement being denied by Jenner and with Pepsi apologising for including her in the first place, she was reportedly paid anywhere from $600,000 to $1 million for her part in the campaign.