Kendall Jenner Gets Backlash Over Pepsi Ad that Recalls Black Lives Matter Protests

LOS ANGELES – Kendall Jenner was ecstatic earlier this year when she announced she would be PepsiCo’s newest spokeswoman. But when her first television commercial for the soda giant aired today, the Twitter world unloaded on the young model.

In the ad spot, Jenner appears in a photo shoot when becomes she sees a group of protestors. She then joins them, and ultimately, comes face-to-face with a stern-looking police officer. But before anything happens, she offers him a Pepsi and he accepts with a smile.

But Twitter fans soon railed aginst the ad, accusing it of appropriating the Black Lives Matter movement and using it to sell a soft drink.

In fact, some of the ads images recalled photos of protestor Iesha Evans who confronted riot police officers during a protest in Baton Rouge, Louisiana after the police shooting death of Alton Sterling.

On person Tweeted: “Lmao Pepsi's new ad Kendall Jenner 'ends racism' by handing police men a Pepsi - way to degrade 50 yrs of black/minority struggle.” Another wrote: “Next time @pepsi do one where Kendall Jenner marches to Montgomery but the cops don't bludgeon her bc she's white & has a refreshing @pepsi."

Yet another wrote: “Kendall Jenner ended police brutality with a Pepsi. so if a cop tries to beat or kill you hand them a Pepsi asap!”

Although Jenner has not commented, Pepsi told Adweek “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.”

Watch the ad: