The new Pepsi ad featuring Kendall Jenner has fallen flat on its pretty face, instead of changing the world. Many can’t fathom what the commercial is about, some say it's tasetless, and others say it "appropriates" Black Lives Matter.
In a nutshell, the 21-year-old model/reality star who is often seen on “Keeping Up with the Kardashians” is doing a glamor photo shoot when a protest appears. She abandons her blonde wig and joins the demonstrators, then appears to end the protest by handing a police officer a Pepsi, according to ABC News.
The ad that’s a little under three minutes ends with the cop drinking the Pepsi, the protesters breaking out in applause and, er, the world living happily ever after?
Pepsi described the ad as “a short film about the moments when we decide to let go, choose to act, follow our passion and nothing holds us back.”
Others describe the ad as “tasteless,” saying it's a bad attempt to infiltrate itself into “serious issues and movements to sell soda.”
Social media lit up. Many said the commercial both “disrespected” and “appropriated” the Black Lives Matter movement, according to the United Press International.
“Kendall Jenner ended police brutality with a Pepsi. So if a cop tries to beat or kill you, hand them a Pepsi asap!” one person sarcastically wrote on Twitter.
“Kendall Jenner gives a Pepsi to a cop and rids the world of –isms. Y’all can go somewhere with this tone-deaf, shallow and over-produced ad,” Huffington Post Black Voices associate editor Taryn Finley said in a tweet.
“Could you be any more blatant with the disrespect and appropriation of a movement, @pepsi? Is this a sick joke?!” she added.
Despite the backlash, Jenner said she was “thrilled” to be the face of Pepsi’s new “Live for Now” moments campaign.
Pepsi released a statement to CNBC defending the ad.
“This is a global ad that reflects people from different walks of life coming together in a spirit of harmony, and we think that’s an important message to convey,” the company said.
Many Twitter users were outraged.
© 2025 Newsmax. All rights reserved.