Kendall Jenner’s Pepsi Commercial Controversy Explained
3 min read
Kendall Jenner walked the runway at Off-White’s show on Monday night, February 28, which opened Paris Fashion Week. Virgil Abloh, the label’s founder and former Creative Director, was remembered in the runway show.
The casting of the models demonstrates that he touched many lives and admired many people. Gigi Hadid, Kendall Jenner, Kaia Gerber, and Bella Hadid walked the runway for Off-White’s “Imaginary Experience” show.
Backstage, Kendall held a beverage can as she posed in the show’s outfit, reminding viewers of her controversy with a Pepsi ad commercial.
Kendall Jenner’s Pepsi commercial “Live for Now” landed her in hot water
As part of the 2017 Live for Now Moments Anthem campaign, Pepsi released a short film with that name. With a background song by Skip Marley, Lions, Jenner appeared in the Pepsi commercial.
Upon being accused of trivializing police brutality and the Black Lives Matter movement, the advertisement received immediate backlash from the public and was withdrawn.
Several young people are marching on the streets as a cellist plays on a rooftop. Kendall is seen posing for a photoshoot amidst the march, holding signs that display ‘V’ or peace signs, including one that says, “Join the conversation.”
Having seen the march, a character in a hijab goes towards it with a camera. Kendall is invited to join the march by the cellist, as he walks past the photoshoot.
In agreement, Jenner gets out of her photoshoot look and heads towards the march. Her outfit has been changed to a more casual one as she grabs a can of Pepsi.
As members of the police force prepare for the march, they form an orderly line. Kendall hands a Pepsi can to a police officer, who accepts it gladly. With people cheering fervently in celebration of the matter is resolved, the gesture symbolizes the joining of hands between the two sides.
Kendall and Pepsi were accused by fans for the ad
Kendall and Pepsi were accused of commercializing a sensitive issue by fans who were offended by the advertisement. Pepsi’s commercial shows that capitalism will steal our lives and profit from our demise, according to one user.
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s youngest daughter, Bernice King, posted an image of her father being pushed by police officers while promoting the advertisement.
Pepsi apologized in response to her tweet. In a statement, Pepsi said that the company believes in the legacy of Dr. King and meant no disrespect to him and others who fight for justice.
It was stated that Kendall was not involved in the production or writing of storylines and that she only learned of the script on the set.
Kendall Jenner’s Off-White runway look
Kendall Jenner turned heads as she walked down the runway in a fitted mini Little Black Dress (LBD), highlighting her height and figure. A white print on the lateral side of the black mini dress reads “Little Black Dress.”
Jenner is accessorized with matching gloves and black leather boots. In addition to a black cap with horns, she wore the entire look.
I'm boycotting all @Pepsi products until they apologize for this blasphemy. Here's a list of their brands: https://t.co/9Rf91nLVyX pic.twitter.com/HsvUvj27Bl
— Charles M. Blow (@CharlesMBlow) April 5, 2017
"Kendall please! Give him a Pepsi!" pic.twitter.com/IntFNmCpTr
— Zito (@_Zeets) April 4, 2017
If only Daddy would have known about the power of #Pepsi. pic.twitter.com/FA6JPrY72V
— Be A King (@BerniceKing) April 5, 2017
Ankita Khanrah
Ankita Khanrah is a second-year student of the Master of Communication and Journalism (Integrated) programme at the School of Mass Communication, KIIT Deemed University, Bhubaneswar.
