Pepsi: The Can Half Empty, or Full of....

Pepsi has always left a bitter taste in my mouth however, todays unveiling of their latest campaign Live For Now Moments, triggered a disdain that left me questioning all logical reasoning at PepsiCo HQ.

In the ad (which has since been pulled), we're presented with a contemporary view of Trumps America, as a very politically correct crowd made up of men, women, Muslim, Hispanic, Trans, black and white individuals march the streets in protest with signs of peace. Cut to Kendall Jenner, (who I might add, up until today was always the least problematic of the Kardashian clan) donning a blond wig at a photoshoot amidst the commotion outside - seemingly unaffected or just indifferent. Alas, after a few more shots of the crowds Kendall finally steps out of her privilege looking amongst the gathering and after making eye contact with one of the protesters pulls off her blond wig and wipes off her lipstick in an act of defiance. Thereby, suggest her newfound 'wokesness' - yes guys, that's all it took, a head nod from a complete stranger to 'come join' and she's suddenly down for the cause. As Kendall storms the 'mean streets', with her fellow disenfranchised youth demanding social change, she picks up a can of Pepsi Max and with the crowd now having intensified into a tense standstill with the police. Kendall 'bravely' steps out from amongst her newly formed peers and hands the police officer the can who acceptingly drinks. As the crowd erupts into triumphant cheers, as we're comically led to believe a carbonated beverage is the new symbol of unity and peace.

For an advert of only two minutes and forty seconds, I have many issues. One of the main, is that I found this timely commercial trivialising the plight of the recent and very real equality issues of the Womens March and the Black Lives Matter movement. In American's current climate where tensions between the African-American community and police force is high - due to the the numerous reported cases of police brutality. Which has seen many unarmed black males killed by law enforcement due to the perceived 'threatening demeanour' of their physical appearance. It was therefore uncomfortable to be reminded in this albeit staged stand off with the police presented to us as somewhat hostile. That Kendall was able to walk right up to the officer and give him a can of Pepsi, though in reality peaceful BLM protesters were arrested for their mere presence.   

The second problem, is that the narrative comes across as very disingenuous, again, America's current political setting has seen the most marginalised communities in society harden their resolve to fight under the current leadership. Backed by countless entertainers from John Legend, Kendrick Lamar, Miley Cyrus, Lady Gaga, Beyonce and Katy Perry etc. the list is endless of celebrities who have used their influence to speak up against social injustice and the current administration. And so the use of Kendall Jenner was a superficial as the entire message itself and an insult to the directed Gen Z demographic. Pepsi, simply wanted to ride the revolutionary wave and Kendall was literally the cherry on top, there for star power alone with as much depth as the 330ml can itself.

The Pepsi brand is one of the the biggest multinationals in the world, and so I don't expect them to take a controversial political stances - though I'm grateful for the companies who have like Starbucks and Ben & Jerry's. With a brand you not only buy into the tangible product but the values and ideals encompassed within that trusted name. And that's why it irks me to see a billion dollar cooperation use oppression and devastation for a tacky kumbaya moment, fronted by a supermodel with no revalance to the actual cause it distastefully glamorises. Especially, when its targeted consumers value realness and authenticity above all else. With society as fractured as ever and things set to get worse before they get better, marketers should take heed from this campaign, to not only incorporate more diversity into their creative agencies but also as a warning if they're hoping to cash in on conscious capitalism. And as for me, I'll be sticking to Coke...