The Kendall Jenner Pepsi Ad Controversy Was Predicted In A Music Video From 1999
The clip for “Out Of Control” by The Chemical Brothers is now our reality.
On Tuesday, Pepsi premiered a new "short film" starring Kendall Jenner which was roundly condemned for cynically co-opting global protest movements for profit. Today Pitchfork spotted a tweet by journalist Dorian Lynskey noting the similarities between the ad campaign and the 1999 video for "Out Of Control" by The Chemical Brothers.
The Chemical Brothers video was directed by W.I.Z. In it a rebel leader, played by Rosario Dawson, stares down a line of anti-riot cops before emerging victorious thanks to a soft drink. It's later revealed to be an ad, and a television playing it is smashed as riots spill out onto the streets. The Pepsi ad seems to be an irony-free rendering of the music video's commercial, though its over-the-top sexuality was replaced in favor of the Pepsi campaign's grating message of milquetoast "unity."
Pepsi issued a statement on Wednesday in response to the ad's backlash: “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.”
The FADER has reached out to representatives for The Chemical Brothers and W.I.Z. for comment.
