Mia Patel
Pepsi has featured several black women in its commercials over the years, including Kendall Jenner, who starred in a 2017 Pepsi ad that was pulled after receiving criticism for trivializing the Black Lives Matter movement. Hallie Eisenberg, also known as The Pepsi Girl, was featured in a series of Pepsi commercials in the late 1990s and early 2000s. More recently, Pepsi has featured K-pop group BLACKPINK and rapper Cardi B in their commercials.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Name | Kendall Jenner |
| Year | 2017 |
| Song | "Lions" by Skip Marley |
| Protest Signs | "Join the Conversation", "Peace", "Love" |
| Protestors' Actions | Smiling, laughing, clapping, hugging, high-fiving |
| Protestors' Demographic | Young, attractive |
| Police Officer's Action | Accepting a can of Pepsi from Kendall Jenner |
| Result | Backlash and accusations of trivializing the Black Lives Matter movement and police brutality |
| Commercial Withdrawal | Pulled by Pepsi one day after its release |
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What You'll Learn
- Kendall Jenner's Pepsi ad was accused of trivialising the Black Lives Matter movement
- Bernice King compared the ad to a photo of Ieshia Evans, a black woman who stood up to riot police
- The ad was pulled and Pepsi apologised for missing the mark and not intending to make light of serious issues
- The ad was produced by Pepsi's in-house studio, which many saw as a prime example of the risks of groupthink
- The ad was shot in Bangkok, Thailand, likely due to cheaper costs of production
Kendall Jenner's Pepsi ad was accused of trivialising the Black Lives Matter movement
In 2017, Pepsi released an advertisement starring Kendall Jenner, which was accused of trivialising the Black Lives Matter movement. The ad, which was produced by an in-house studio, depicted a group of attractive young protesters holding vague signs with pleas like "Join the conversation". The protesters were uniformly smiling, laughing, clapping, hugging, and high-fiving. In the climax of the ad, Jenner, a white woman, approaches a line of police officers and offers one of them a can of Pepsi, which he accepts. This scene was compared to a widely shared photo of Ieshia Evans, a black woman who stood firm while being charged by riot police during a protest against police brutality in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, in 2016.
The ad sparked intense criticism, with people arguing that it trivialised the widespread protests against the killings of black people by the police and minimised the danger and frustration faced by protesters. Elle Hearns, the executive director of the Marsha P. Johnson Institute and a former organiser for Black Lives Matter, stated that the ad ""plays down the sacrifices people have historically taken in utilising protests". Bernice King, the daughter of Martin Luther King Jr. and Coretta Scott King, also drew connections between the ad and past protests, saying that it had ""no relationship to the courage that that woman [Evans] showed."
In response to the backlash, Pepsi issued an apology, stating that they were trying to project a global message of unity, peace, and understanding, but acknowledged that they had "missed the mark". They pulled the ad and halted any further rollout. Despite this, some people still took issue with the company's apology, arguing that it did not address the protesters directly and failed to recognise the urgency of the issues being raised by the Black Lives Matter movement.
This incident highlights the potential pitfalls that corporations can face when attempting to engage with political and social issues in their advertising. While Pepsi intended to convey a message of unity and peace, the execution fell short and was perceived as tone-deaf and insensitive to the experiences of those involved in the Black Lives Matter movement.
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Bernice King compared the ad to a photo of Ieshia Evans, a black woman who stood up to riot police
In the wake of the controversial Pepsi ad, many people drew comparisons between the imagery used in the commercial and a famous photograph from a Black Lives Matter protest. Bernice King, the youngest daughter of Martin Luther King Jr. and Coretta Scott King, was one of those who made this connection. She tweeted a side-by-side image of a screenshot from the Pepsi ad and a photograph of Ieshia Evans, a black woman who stood up to riot police during a protest in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, in July 2016. The photograph of Ieshia Evans captured by Jonathan Bachman, went viral and became a powerful symbol of peaceful protest and police brutality. In the image, Evans is seen wearing a dress, similar to Kendall Jenner's in the Pepsi ad, and is calmly standing in front of police officers in riot gear. She is facing them with her arms folded, in a powerful display of defiance and courage.
Bernice King's comparison highlights the stark contrast between the two images and the very different messages they convey. The Pepsi ad, with its lighthearted and superficial portrayal of protest, trivializes the very real and serious issues faced by black activists and the Black Lives Matter movement. On the other hand, Ieshia Evans' brave stand against authority captures the risk, courage, and gravity of the issues that activists are fighting for. King's comparison also draws attention to the long history of police brutality and racial injustice that the Black Lives Matter movement seeks to address.
The tweet by Bernice King sparked a wider discussion about the appropriation and co-opting of serious social issues for commercial gain. Many people agreed with King's assessment, criticizing Pepsi for appropriating the imagery and symbolism of protests to sell their product. They argued that the ad ignored the very real risks and sacrifices made by activists like Ieshia Evans, reducing their struggles to a superficial and trendy aesthetic. This incident also prompted a broader conversation about the responsibility of corporations when addressing social justice issues in their advertising.
Through her comparison, Bernice King not only shed light on the inappropriate use of protest imagery by Pepsi but also reminded people of the powerful message conveyed by Ieshia Evans' courageous act. King's tweet became a catalyst for a much-needed dialogue about the commercialization of social movements and the importance of respecting and accurately portraying the struggles of activists fighting for racial equality and justice.
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The ad was pulled and Pepsi apologised for missing the mark and not intending to make light of serious issues
In 2017, Pepsi released an advertisement starring Kendall Jenner that was accused of trivializing the Black Lives Matter movement. The ad, which was produced by an in-house studio, depicted a group of attractive young people holding nonspecific protest signs with messages like "Join the Conversation." The protesters were uniformly smiling, laughing, and high-fiving, a stark contrast to the serious nature of the Black Lives Matter protests against police brutality. In the climax of the ad, Jenner, a white woman, offers a can of Pepsi to a police officer, resulting in cheers from the protesters and an appreciative grin from the officer.
The ad sparked intense backlash and was widely criticized for appropriating imagery from serious protests to sell a product, while minimizing the dangers and frustrations faced by real-world protesters. Activists and commentators on social media accused Pepsi of tone-deafness and failing to understand the gravity of the issues being protested. Bernice King, the daughter of Martin Luther King Jr. and Coretta Scott King, drew connections between the ad and past protests, specifically comparing it to a photo of Ieshia Evans, a black woman who stood firm against riot police during a protest in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, in 2016.
In response to the backlash, Pepsi issued an apology and pulled the ad, recognizing that they had "missed the mark." In their statement, Pepsi acknowledged that the ad was not intended to make light of any serious issue and that they were "pulling the content and halting any further rollout." This incident highlighted the potential risks of group-think in company culture, as Pepsi's in-house creative team overlooked the potential for the ad to be perceived as tone-deaf and insensitive. Despite the apology and ad pull, Pepsi sales hit an all-time low in the years following the incident.
While the ad received widespread criticism, it is important to note that Kendall Jenner's career does not appear to have suffered significantly as a result. Jenner, a member of the famous Kardashian family, has a substantial social media presence and is a well-known model who has appeared in campaigns for various high-profile brands.
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The ad was produced by Pepsi's in-house studio, which many saw as a prime example of the risks of groupthink
In 2017, Pepsi released an advertisement starring Kendall Jenner, which was produced by the company's in-house studio. The commercial was accused of trivializing the Black Lives Matter movement and minimizing the dangers and frustrations faced by protesters. It depicted attractive young people holding generic signs with messages like "Join the Conversation," uniformly smiling, laughing, and high-fiving. In the climax, Jenner, a white woman, offers a can of Pepsi to a police officer, resulting in cheers from the protesters and approval from the officer.
The ad sparked intense criticism, with people pointing out that it co-opted imagery from serious protests to sell a product and failed to acknowledge the reality of police brutality and the experiences of activists. Bernice King, the daughter of Martin Luther King Jr. and Coretta Scott King, compared the image of Jenner approaching police to a widely shared photo of Ieshia Evans, a black woman who stood defiantly against riot police during a protest against police brutality.
Many saw the ad as a prime example of the risks of groupthink. The term "groupthink," coined by Irving Janis, refers to the tendency of a group to prioritize consensus over rational thought, potentially leading to poor decisions. Pepsi's in-house team's creation of the ad led to accusations of tone-deafness and a lack of diversity in perspective. Experts criticized the company for having only left-leaning creatives on staff, which may have contributed to the ad's failure to consider different viewpoints and experiences.
The backlash caused Pepsi to issue an apology, acknowledging that they "missed the mark" and did not intend to trivialize any serious issues. They pulled the ad and halted its further rollout. This incident highlights the importance of diverse and inclusive perspectives in advertising to avoid insensitive and tone-deaf messages. It serves as a reminder for corporations to prioritize self-awareness and social responsibility over purely profit-driven messages.
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The ad was shot in Bangkok, Thailand, likely due to cheaper costs of production
The Pepsi commercial, titled "Live for Now Moments Anthem", was pulled following intense backlash and accusations of trivializing civil rights and protest movements. The ad features Kendall Jenner, who walks up to a line of police officers and hands one of them a can of Pepsi. The commercial was shot in Bangkok, Thailand, with identified locations including Omni Tower Sukhumvit Nana and All Seasons Place.
The decision to shoot in Thailand was likely due to the cheaper cost of production. A production coordinator who did not work on the commercial stated that the decision to shoot overseas was probably to keep costs down. The ad features extras from both Thailand and other countries outside the U.S. One of the extras, who asked to remain anonymous, said that they did not know the significance of the ad's message, and therefore did not feel bad about their participation.
The commercial has been criticized for its tone-deafness and for erasing black women from the narrative. Bernice King, the daughter of Martin Luther King Jr. and Coretta Scott King, drew connections between the ad and past protests, specifically the image of Ieshia Evans, a black woman who stood up to riot police during a protest against police brutality. The commercial has also been accused of commercializing struggle and resistance and attempting to make "protest the new black".
In response to the backlash, Pepsi issued an apology, stating that they were trying to project a global message of unity, peace, and understanding, but they clearly missed the mark. The company pulled the ad and halted any further rollout.
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Frequently asked questions
There are multiple answers to this question, as there have been several Pepsi commercials over the years, featuring different people. One commercial featured Kendall Jenner, who was accused of trivializing the Black Lives Matter movement. Another commercial featured the K-pop girl group, BLACKPINK.
The commercial was accused of trivializing the Black Lives Matter movement and police brutality. In the ad, Jenner's character approaches a line of police officers, which was compared to a photo of Ieshia Evans, a black woman who stood up to riot police during a protest against police brutality. Many people felt that the ad depicted an unrealistic situation that was the opposite of the real-world protesting experience.
In the commercial, BLACKPINK appeared as guests on a talk show. The director of the commercial had to do multiple takes as the group appeared to lack energy and did not seem to care about being there.
