Pepsi's Biggest Mistake If only you could solve a problem like police brutality with a smile and a drink, then the world would be a much more peaceful place. Unfortunately, this is not quite the case. On April 5, 2017, Pepsi released a new commercial in the United States that was quickly pulled just one day after it aired due to the negative reaction it received from audiences. The video commercial features model and Kardashian sister Kendall Jenner, who also received a lot of hate for appearing in the commercial. It is set on the streets of a city where Jenner is modeling for a photo shoot when she sees a wave of protesters marching down the street. He decides to join the march after a nod from a young participant. The video ends with Jenner handing a can of Pepsi to one of the police officers lining up in front of the protesters. This gesture seems to bring a sense of peace among the protesters and the officers. The insensitive and unrealistic advertising put out by Pepsi has shed light on very serious topics such as police brutality, protests and other events that are affecting our world today. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay There are so many components to this two minute and thirty second commercial that it's hard to know where to start, so I'll start at the beginning. The first scene shows a Pepsi can being opened audibly in slow motion. The shot then shows a young Asian male playing the cello aggressively on the roof of a building in a city. Background music starts playing and the camera focuses on a very large and diverse group of people walking happily down the street. These people are protesters carrying signs that say “Love,” “Join the Conversation,” and other things in various languages. The company used the song, Lions, by Skip Marley to set the tone. The artist sings “We are the movement, this generation/You better know who we are, who we are,” a great anthemic message. The song is about bringing together a nation of young people to create powerful change. From the beginning, it's clear that Pepsi is trying to appeal to the millennial generation, but going about it the wrong way. They use young protesters to connect their announcement to what is currently happening in the world. The problem is their idea of protest is not realistic. In the commercial, the protest appears to be a social meeting; everyone is smiling, dancing and having fun when in reality the protesters are angry. Real-world protesters are there to protect something they believe in. They protest out of necessity, not because it's a fun thing to do on the weekends. Pepsi is trying to glamorize something that should be taken seriously for what it is. In the next two scenes, we are introduced to a young Muslim photographer who is frustrated with her work. He also has a Pepsi on his desk which helps remind the viewer what the commercial is actually for. Pepsi uses this woman to show diversity, which is a main component of this ad. Then we see Kendall Jenner who is in the middle of a photo shoot that is taking place near the streets of the parade. Jenner, unlike the Muslim woman and the Asian cellist, is featured in this commercial to appeal to people who want to live a life similar to Jenners. She is young, successful, rich, thin, white and famous. The march continues, and it is now clear that people of all genders, races, religions and sexual orientations are coming together to protest something that is.
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