PURCHASE, NY — Pepsi pulled an ad featuring Kendall Jenner, in which she hands one of the soft drinks to police officers during Black Lives Matter protests. The controversial ad was criticised for its “tone-deafness.”
People united from all corners of the internet to voice their displeasure at what they believed displayed “white privilege.” Many noted that a white person confronting an officer, albeit peacefully, would illicit a very different response than what an African-American would be met with. The irony is that the soft drink juggernaut awkwardly paired an overtly privileged person’s experience with the BLM movement.
Pepsi, seeing the error in its ways, has decided to revamp the concept. This time, Kendall Jenner will be replaced in the role of peacemaker by a black girl.
“We’re hoping people see our heart was in the right place,” said Pepsi CEO Indra Nooyi. “As an Indian woman, I of all people understand how insensitive we may have come off. Well, this time I think we really nailed it by giving that colored girl center-stage, so to speak.”
