The much-ridiculed advert that was posted to YouTube on Tuesday evening but was taken off in less than 24 hours shows Kendall Jenner in a photo shoot when she sees protestors marching. She defuses the tension by removing her wig and makeup and walking to the police line and handing an officer a can of Pepsi, prompting him to smile while marchers cheer.
In a statement posted on its website, Pepsi said they did not intend to make light of serious issues.
“Pepsi was trying to project a global message of unity, peace and understanding,” the company further added, “clearly we missed the mark, and we apologise. We did not intend to make light of any serious issue. We are removing the content and halting any further rollout.”
The renowned beverage company also apologised to the famed model however, a representative for Jenner did not return a call for comment.
Moreover, people took to Twitter to express their outrage, saying it belittled the anti-police violence protests over the past two years in cities such as Ferguson, Missouri and Baltimore following police killings of unarmed black men and women.
Observers were quick to express their opinions,
Bernice King, daughter of civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr: