Pepsi, having sipped the sweet nectar of social consciousness, apparently can’t get enough, and is taking another crack at “[projecting] a global message of unity, peace, and understanding.” Because if at first you wind up offending the entire planet by turning protests against police violence into an ad for Kendall Jenner’s ability to shove a wig into the hands of a random black woman, try, try again!
A recent casting call posted by the company on Backstage for an “event video” asks for 16 to 20-year-olds of “different cultural backgrounds and walks of life.” By which they mean: “African-American, Muslim, Asian, Hispanic, Transgender, Gay/Lesbian, athletic, nerdy/glasses, artsy/alternative, someone from the inner-city.”
What could go wrong?
A PepsiCo representative told the New York Daily News that the video will promote one of their juice brands, IZZE Fusions, and not Pepsi itself.
As you surely know, Pepsi is only recently smarting from the many burns it received—including one from none other than Martin Luther King Jr.’s daughter —for the aforementioned Jenner ad.
The company later apologized to Jenner for “putting her in this position.” No word yet on whether her sister Kylie will play “someone from the inner city.”
How will Pepsi apologize for whatever ad emerges from this latest effort? Leave us a guess in the comments below.