Pepsi's Misguided Ad Campaign That Attempted To Create A Pop Culture Statement Failed Spectacularly

The rivalry between Pepsi and Coca-Cola is maybe the most famous in all of food, and while taste certainly plays a role, it has often been a rivalry about branding. With both colas dating back to the 19th century, they should both be considered essential aspects of Americana, but Pepsi has always felt like Coke's little brother. And Pepsi has leaned into its rivalry with Coke by trying to put that youthful image at the forefront. While Coke appeals to unifying messages about happiness and iconic American images, Pepsi has put youth culture first, including 80s ads with Michael Jackson and Michael J. Fox, up to recent spots with Cardi B. But one ill-fated attempt from the popular cola brand starred Kendall Jenner, and tried to meld that approach with a "deeper" meaning.

The commercial was released in 2017 in the wake of the Black Lives Matter protests, and attempted to capture the activist spirit of the moment, but it was both poorly executed and almost certainly a bad idea on its face. The spot shows Jenner taking part in a photo shoot as a diverse array of young people gather in the street, protesting. Jenner jumps up and joins the protests, ripping off a wig and wiping away makeup in the process. Surrounded by happy, dancing protesters, she grabs a can of Pepsi from a bucket and finishes the commercial by handing it to a nearby police officer in a moment of symbolic unity. And people were not happy.

The backlash to the Pepsi commercial was swift, widespread, and brutal. Almost every aspect of it came across as tone-deaf and opportunistic. Trying to wade in politics without actually saying anything political, the protestors carried signs that just said things like "love," and, in one widely-mocked shot, the meaninglessly ambiguous "join the conversation." Pepsi was accused of trying to appropriate a protest movement centered around serious topics like racial discrimination and police brutality for a trivial thing like soda. And the shot of Jenner happily handing a Pepsi to a police officer was seen as particularly galling because so much of the protest movements Pepsi was emulating were based on police violence.

The ad came out on a Tuesday, and by Wednesday, Pepsi was already backtracking and apologizing. The ad torpedoed a planned campaign named "Live for Now – Moments" based around progressive themes, and for a while, Pepsi plunged to its lowest record level in surveys about positive brand recognition. The ad was mocked as much as it was condemned, with even the daughter of Martin Luther King Jr. making jokes on social media about how Pepsi could be used to cure all of society's ills. Pepsi has since gone back to basics, like trying to relaunch the Pepsi challenge "Cola Wars" with Coke. It was a brief, strange moment that showed how badly vacuous marketing practices paired with trying to send a real message.