This post has been updated to include additional statements from Pepsi.
Pepsi's new ad features Kendall Jenner as a model who abandons a shoot to join a passing protest. Jenner is seen alongside the protestors who are carrying signs that read "love" and "join the conversation." The short clip culminates as she hands a stern looking police officer a can of the soda and makes him smile.
The ad, which was made by Pepsi's in-house content team Creators League Studio, has been criticized heavily online for co-opting a political movement to boost profits. Pepsi has now responded via a short statement circulated to various media outlets.
“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,” Pepsi's statement reads.
Twitter, it's fair to say, did not feel the same way.
Just hours after its first statement, Pepsi has decided to pull the ad and issued an additional statement. "Pepsi was trying to project a global message of unity, peace and understanding," the statement reads. "Clearly we missed the mark, and we apologize. We did not intend to make light of any serious issue. We are removing the content and halting any further rollout. We also apologize for putting Kendall Jenner in this position."