“Syria, Stephen Bannon, Pepsi.” The headline of my Thursday morning New York Times briefing might as well have been on a rudimentary first grade “Which word doesn’t belong?” quiz.
Pepsi’s latest ad received scathing criticisms on Twitter that went far beyond the usual obscenities of Coke disciples. The individuals of this particular anti-Pepsi brigade were belittling it for a cause against a faux-cause. The advertisement is simply in poor taste.
The ad opens up with a surreptitious rooftop cellist, just minding his own business on a helipad. He heads indoors and becomes agitated, as evidenced by his sweaty complexion. The shots of him heatedly strumming his cello are intermixed with shots of the protest happening on the streets below — marchers are sporting signs that say things like “Join the Conversation” and “Peace.”
Then the frame cuts to the requisite hijab-clad Muslim woman angrily scribbling on contact sheets of film. She abruptly leaves her apartment and takes to the streets with her camera. Her angst is clearly fueled by Pepsi: Not only is she drinking the beverage, but her entire outfit — red scarf, white t-shirt and denim jacket — is a life-size recreation of the soda can.
Next, a stilettoed Kendall Jenner is modeling on the premise. She’s leaning on what looks to be the front door of a swanky hotel and suddenly becomes entranced by the mass crowd of protesters walking by her photoshoot.
Now, the cellist can be spotted in the crowd as well, and he wears his blue fiberglass cello case on his back. He walks past Jenner’s set and gives her the universal “come with” head nod. Immediately, Jenner rips off her blonde wig and uses her hand to wipe away her blackberry colored lip stain.
In a miraculous three-second wardrobe change from metallic bodycon dress to a loose fitting blue jacket, she is transformed to her authentic self.
Jenner, with her I-can-solve-anything-with-a-can-of-soda spirit, grabs an ice-cold Pepsi and hands it to the handsome security guard — their eye contact never wavers.
He immediately cracks open the can and takes a sip. The crowd roars as if their team had just won the Super Bowl. The Muslim woman captures everything on her camera. Justice is served.
But justice can’t be served to a nondescript cause.
Pepsi realized its error and released a statement 24 hours after its ad had been absolutely destroyed on Twitter.
“Pepsi was trying to project a global message of unity, peace and understanding. Clearly we missed the mark, and we apologize,” the company said.
Many accused the company for trivializing the Black Lives Matter movement. When Jenner approached the officer with that blue can, several people compared the moment to the famous image of Ieshia Evans, the black woman who stood tall against a line of heavily armored riot police in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.
Others took to joking, but the sardonic tweets had consistently dark undertones. Twitter user @ira posted, “When the cops come and you only got Coca-Cola in the Fridge,” accompanied by an iconic photo of Malcolm X peering out a window with a rifle in his hand.
The bottom line is that social justice shouldn’t be about commerce. It has been and always will be about people — real people, sans wardrobe changes and set designers.
Pepsi took their red, white and blue label one step too far. It’s not patriotic — it’s patronizing.
jlkarl@umail.iu.edu
