Pepsi apologizes for protest ad: 'Clearly we missed the mark'
Well, that was quick. Pepsi has pulled its latest commercial after a day's worth of controversy.
If you didn't get a chance to see the ad before Pepsi yanked it from YouTube, let us paint the scene for you: A group of young protesters march down a city street, carrying signs adorned with peace symbols and messages like "Join the conversation." Meanwhile, a model (played by Kendall Jenner) poses for a camera in a nearby studio – until a cute guy smiles at her, and she decides to pull off her blonde wig to join the demonstration.
A wall of police surrounds the protest, so Jenner grabs a Pepsi, waltzes up to an officer, and hands him the can. He smiles, and the crowd starts cheering and high-fiving.
And the internet saw red.
After it was posted online Tuesday, the aftermath was overwhelmingly negative. In short, critics called the ad "tone-deaf" and accused Pepsi of trivializing protests (specifically, Black Lives Matter) and mocking an iconic photograph from the movement – in order to sell pop. (Or soft drinks, whatever).
Activists say it depicts the opposite of what's actually happening at protests against police brutality. Bernice King, the daughter of Martin Luther King Jr. and Coretta Scott King, was among those who commented.
Critics compared the clip to a nearly 20-year-old Chemical Brothers music video making fun of commercializing protests. And of course, many took the opportunity to make jokes about the old Pepsi vs. Coke debate.
Pepsi finally responded to the backlash via Twitter Wednesday afternoon, saying "Clearly we missed the mark, and we apologize."
They even apologized to Jenner for "putting [her] in this position."
The response on social media? Some people are saying the internet overreacted, while others vow to stick with Coke from now on.
You might still be able to watch the commercial here, if it doesn't get taken down.