Marketing ads usually pose a major challenge for global companies, as they are prone to different interpretations because of cross-border diversity. A good example is the Pepsi ad that featured Kendal Jenner that was later removed due to the outcry by different people on social media ( Bunyasi, 2018) . The ad is a good example of a communication gone wrong with the company. Companies should avoid the use of politically instigated messages or ads online. Pepsi recently developed an ad that was later removed after an outcry from the public ( Bunyasi, 2018) . The high competition that Pepsi faces from Coca-Cola has always put the company needing a good campaign that can increase its sales in a highly competitive market. However, as it emerged from the ad, Pepsi failed in its attempt to make a mark in the market. The following study identifies the communication issues from Pepsi’s ad that featured Kendal Jenner.
The argument against the ad was that it was exploiting incidences from the recent Black Lives Matter campaigns. The ad depicts Jenner being photographed in modeling outfit when she sees a multiracial protest outside the place she was in modeling. The banners held by the protesters in the ad showed love hearts and peace signs ( Bunyasi, 2018) . Jenner is seen as inspired to take off her wig as well as her lipstick to join the protests in the image of a normal protester. She is involved in ending the standoff with the police officer by giving the officer a can of Pepsi. When the officer takes the can, the protesters cheer and the protests end. The ad echoed an incident that occurred in real-life as individuals protested across the country against the police brutality towards the black community. However, during the protests, Ieshia Evans who tried to approach the armed police in riot gear but was arrested and charged in the process. It is for this reason that people criticized the ad as ‘tone deaf’ as it took advantage of a depressing incident in America. The argument is that the sugarcoated version of the protests depicted by Jenner only works in showing how privileged she is and that there are still a lot of inequalities existing in the society ( Bunyasi, 2018) . Pepsi should not have used the ad as it preyed on one of the controversial topics in the American society. America has for a long time dealt with the topic of racism and inequalities among the diverse community ( Taylor, 2017) . The ad was, therefore, not doing any good towards ending the ill-feeling among some sections of the society who still view America as divided and whites at a privilege compared to the blacks.
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The other main talking point in the ad is the issue of the wig that Jenner removes when she sees the protest. She can be seen whipping her wig without even having a look at the woman to the right. She throws the wig at her as she moves from her position to join the protests. The woman is black and stands to hold the wig in a confused look ( Taylor, 2017) . Critics argued that it was a sign of white privilege in action. The argument is that Jenner was trying to protesting racism while at the same time making a black woman hold her wig. The issue of the white privilege emanates from the argument that whites are better positioned to enjoy certain benefits compared to blacks. One of the privileges enjoyed by the whites is said to be police protection. Whereas the police treated the blacks in the protests with hostility and resistance, Jenner was allowed the chance to go towards the police officer to present him with a can ( Taylor, 2017) .
The can issue was compared with an incident that occurred in Baltimore when a person tried to offer a police officer a bottle of water. However, nothing changed in this case. The police officer retained the cold approach and look he had towards the protesters in the crowd. This escalated the argument that Jenner was trying to prey on such incidents and assume they were trying to create peace ( Smith, 2017) . However, in this case, it was Jenner, a white person, who was saved the day. When a black person tried to do the same, the response of the police was different. This makes the ad to be viewed in a racist eye in America considering the nation is seeking to eradicate the vise ( Timke, 2017) . There was no point of Pepsi using a white person in front of the police as the society expected her to receive a better treatment compared to the blacks.
The impact of the ad was that it ignited a racial debate that has been controlling the American society in the recent past ( Timke, 2017) . The act of using a white woman as the one confronting the police during the protests was one of the major setbacks of the ad. It was viewed as a mockery of the incident when Miss Evans stood up against the police ( Smith, 2017) . However, due to her race, she was arrested and charged despite the fact that she was not armed or causing any trouble. The core of the ad used by Pepsi was not only stolen but also borrowed from Twitter ( Taylor, 2017) . The ad, therefore, cemented the pain of the black community. The interpretation is that a white person can have a response from the armed police officers without being arrested. The case was different for the black people.
It was ironical for Jenner to throw a wig at a black person while entering the protests with the majority of the police officers being white. This was prone to interpretation that she is being attended to by blacks because she is white ( Smith, 2017) . The white privilege debate emanates from the confusion that the woman sees as she picks the wig from the departing Jenner. The question is whether she would have been accorded the same treatment if she were black but being served by white women.
The concept of racism has been one of the major issues that have faced the American society for a long time. Messages passed by companies should ensure that there is no increased division in America. The marketing team should consider the history of America or the current state of affairs when they are creating ads. The ads ought to portray politically correct messages. America is a diverse nation, which means that such ads are prone to diverse interpretations from different sections of the society. Effects from a wrong advert cannot be underestimated in a country that racial differences define everything. The Pepsi ad was escalating the racial divide in the USA at a time when the black community has been at the forefront in claiming equal treatment by the police. One can conclude that it was wrong for Pepsi to use the political advert as a marketing strategy.
References
Bunyasi, T. L. (2018). Structural Racism and the Will to Act. Radical Teacher , 110 (1), 33-45. DOI 10.5195/rt.2018.358
Smith, A. (2017). Pepsi pulls controversial Kendall Jenner ad after outcry. NBC News . Retrieved Jun. 18 2018 from https://www.nbcnews.com/news/nbcblk/pepsi-ad-kendall-jenner-echoes-black-lives-matter-sparks-anger-n742811
Taylor, C. R. (2017). How to avoid marketing disasters: back to the basic communications model, but with some updates illustrating the importance of e-word-of-mouth research. International Journal of Advertising, 37(4): 515-519. https://doi.org/10.1080/02650487.2017.1323406
Timke, E. (2017). Social Media and Advertising. Advertising & Society Quarterly , 18 (2). Advertising Educational Foundation. Retrieved June 18, 2018, from Project MUSE database. DOI 10.1353/asr.2017.0019
