Pepsi pulls Kendall Jenner commercial after widespread criticism

Pepsi has pulled a two-and-a-half minute short film from circulation after the advertisement was widely blasted as tone-deaf and insensitive, The Wall Street Journal reports. The commercial, featuring Kendall Jenner, riffed on the Black Lives Matter protests, with a moment of tension between Jenner and an officer resolved by a shared Pepsi.

"Pepsi was trying to project a global message of unity, peace, and understanding," a Pepsi spokesman said. "Clearly we missed the mark, and we apologize." The spokesman added that the company had not meant to "make light of any serious issue" and apologized for putting Jenner "in this position."

A research firm found that of 110,000 comments about Pepsi on social media, 24 percent were negative, 8 percent positive, and 68 percent neutral. An analyst at the firm explained to The Wall Street Journal that 24 percent is an "extremely" high amount for an ad.

The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up