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People are going in hard on Pepsi’s new protest-themed advert

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Alex Finnis
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Pepsi are being heavily criticised for their new advert in which Kendall Jenner essentially turns a protest march into a party by giving a police officer a can of the fizzy drink.

They are being accused of trying to profit off the resistance movement and making light of the type of protests in which black Americans are often subjected to police brutality – while using a rich, white, famous model as the ‘saviour’ of the march.

The two-and-a-half-minute video shows Kendall on a fashion shoot while protesters go by outside holding banners reading things like ‘Join the conversation’, before she joins the march and marches through the crowd to give a police officer a can of Pepsi.

The officer then cracks the can open and smiles as the crowd breaks into huge cheers and starts dancing. 

People on Twitter have gone in hard on Pepsi and Jenner for the tone deaf ad:

Pepsi responded to the criticism in a statement: “This is a global ad that reflects people from different walks of life coming together in a spirit of harmony.

“We think that's an important message to convey.”

Kendall Jenner is yet to respond.