1:38
- ABC News
- April 5, 2017
Pepsi pulls protest ad after backlash
Viewers took to social media to voice their complaints with the ad.
how nice of Kendall Jenner to stop in the middle of her photo shoot to end social injustices by giving that cop a Pepsi ?? MLK who? Rosa who?
— reggie (@1942bs) April 4, 2017
Twitter users also called the video \"tasteless\" and said the ad takes advantage of \"serious issues and movements to sell soda.\"
@KendallJenner @pepsi shocked + confused why @pepsi and @KendallJenner EVER thought this would be an effective/powerful ad campaign. Tasteless and offensive
— Megan (@megan6786) April 5, 2017
I've been studying commercials for 30 years. Kendall's Pepsi ad is legitimately the worst one I've ever seen.
— Joseph Kahn (@JosephKahn) April 4, 2017
The protest ad likely came from a desire by Pepsi to be more relevant with a younger demographic, according to Larry Hackett, an entertainment expert and a former editor-in-chief of People magazine.
\"You can imagine the meeting where Pepsi was saying, ‘We need to be more relevant. Young people aren’t drinking enough soda. They’re drinking pomegranate juice and sports drinks. Let’s get relevant,'\" Hackett said today on \"Good Morning America.\" \"So people went back and they looked at their focus group interviews and they looked at their bar graphs about the various metrics of what young people want.\"
He continued, \"It was created in some Frankenstein lab of advertising and this is what you ended up with. What Pepsi wanted was relevance and association with young people. They’re now going to become the laughingstock of young people.\"
Hackett predicts the backlash will not hurt Jenner as the face of the soda company, but will be a warning for marketers.
\"She’s just in the commercial. This isn’t her fault,\" Hackett said of Jenner. \"I think it’s going to be a cautionary tale for a lot of other marketers who have to be very careful about how they try to sell things.\"
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