Kendall Jenner’s Pepsi ad accused of co-opting Black Lives Matter

Kendall Jenner, who recently became a new spokesperson for Pepsi, found herself at the root of controversy and backlash over her recent Pepsi ad.

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On Tuesday, Kendall Jenner, who recently became a new spokesperson for Pepsi, found herself at the root of controversy and backlash over her recent Pepsi ad.

In the debut ad, Jenner is part of a photo shoot before she is distracted by a group of protesters and decides to join them, eventually walking until she meets up with a police officer, who stands stoic before Jenner hands him a Pepsi, getting the officer to smile.

Immediately, many blasted the ad for appropriating the Black Lives Matter movement. In particular, they pointed the similarity of the imagery between the ad and the now-famous image of Ieshia Evans being detained while protesting the death of Alton Sterling.

The ad, called “Jump In,” was supposedly part of Pepsi’s “moments” campaign and, according to the soda company, was supposed to be “a short film about the moments when we decide to let go, choose to act, follow our passion and nothing holds us back.”

Pepsi told CNN in a statement about the ad: “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.”

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