Model and Kardashian-Jenner Klan member, Kendall Jenner has faced huge backlash for her a new Pepsi commercial inspired by the protests and race riots in the US.
In the advertisement, Kendall Jenner takes part in a photoshoot when hundreds of remarkably good-looking people appear to be happily and peacefully demonstrating down a street.
The “short film”, as Pepsi describe the advert to be and the first commercial of the soda company’s “Live For Now” camapaign, climaxes as Jenner rips off the blonde wig she is wearing for the shoot and runs into the crowd, magically changing her outfit along the way. She then hands a can of the drink to a police officer standing in a line against the protest who smiles as Kendall’s new friends, the protesters, laugh along.
Apparently, the advert is inspired by the Black Lives Matter movement, which has seen protests taking place all over the US in anger at police killings of people of colour.
Pepsi’s role of casting Jenner, a priviledged white supermodel, as a peacemaker between the police and the protesters has been criticised on social media.
Twitter was flooded with deeply sarcastic posts mocking the “tone deaf” ad. One Twitter user wrote, “How nice of Kendall Jenner to stop in the middle of her photo shoot to end social injustices by giving that cop a Pepsi. MLK [Martin Luther King] who? Rosa [ Parks] who?”
Another user wrote, “I can’t believe Kendall Jenner ended police brutality and white supremacy with a can of Pepsi - not bad for a girl with no talent.”
Meanwhile, Pepsi have issued a statement in reaction to the backlash, maintaining that “this is a global ad that reflects people from different walks of life coming together in a spirit of harmony, and we think that’s an important message to convey”.
Jenner is yet to comment on the matter. However, the reality star/Vogue-covergirl spoke with People Style about her advert previously, “It’s an honor to be following up some of the icons and amazing, cool people that have done this before me,” she said, adding that being the first model named to do this since Cindy Crawford is “a dream come true.”
Thursday, June 04, 2026
