Coke released a 1971 commercial featuring several people from around the world singing that they would buy a Coke for the world, signifying togetherness during the time of the Vietnam War, when discord between supporters and opponents of war involvement dominated society. This iconic Coke advertisement became a symbol of unity, leading Pepsi to try recreating that message of unity through a 2017 advertisement starring supermodel Kendall Jenner. The Pepsi advertisement, however, presented an insensitive stance regarding the Black Lives Matter movement, which was gaining momentum at the time of its release.
The advertisement begins with people from diverse backgrounds and lifestyles joining together to march for an unspecified cause that appears similar to Black Lives Matter protests that were going on at the time. The march then reaches the barricade of police as Kendall Jenner leaves a photoshoot and goes to the front of the crowd to offer an officer a can of Pepsi. The officer then accepts the peace offering, and opens the can as the crowd cheers, and peace is restored.
The advertisement clearly does not convey its intended message because it does not accurately address its rhetorical situation. The Black Lives Matter movement was gaining momentum at the time of the advertisement’s release, and the march shown by the advertisement shares similar characteristics with Black Lives Matter protests. However, the advertisement does not depict the excessive force that police officers would exert towards protesters, instead nodding to the iconic protest image of Ieshia Evans standing before officers by portraying Kendall Jenner approaching the officers with a Pepsi can as an offering of peace. The advertisement shows this act that would almost always result in violence as the antidote for peace, completely ignoring the violence that occurs at real protests. It conveys that because of Jenner and her Pepsi, peace is restored.
The insensitive acknowledgement of the advertisement’s rhetorical situation is the primary cause for its shortcoming; rather than promoting peace through the united efforts of peaceful protests, it conveys that a privileged, white supermodel such as Jenner and a Pepsi could be the peacemaker that would resolve the injustices that society faces, and completely disregards the violence that would occur at similar protests.
I definitely agree that this advertisement did not address its rhetorical situation. It makes it seem that these protests can be resolved with a simple action, when it reality it is dangerous and violent with the force from police officers. It was also insightful that you pointed our Kendall’s privileged position and how it makes the ad particularly tone deaf.