Martin Luther King Jr.’s daughter had a dream — to eviscerate Pepsi over its protest-themed ad featuring Kendall Jenner.
And that dream came true on Wednesday, from the social-media mountaintop of Twitter.
Bernice King, the daughter of legendary civil-rights leader MLK Jr., added her voice to the chorus of detractors who’ve condemned the ad, taking aim at the commercial with a particularly biting flair.
“If only Daddy would have known about the power of #Pepsi,” King wrote, in a caption of her father being physically held back by a police officer.
If only Daddy would have known about the power of #Pepsi. pic.twitter.com/FA6JPrY72V
— Be A King (@BerniceKing) April 5, 2017
In the ad, which was met with widespread criticism on Tuesday, Jenner, a blonde wig perched atop her head, poses for a photo shoot as sign-carrying marchers take to the street.
Encouraged by one of the marchers, Jenner pulls the wig from her head, strides through the crowd, and brings peace to the raucous scene by handing a police officer a can of Pepsi.
Detractors were quick to criticize the ad for appropriating protest and resistance culture in the name of shilling soda.
“No @pepsi. No @KendallJenner. You are not woke. Can’t believe you’re imitating ‘flower power’ movement to sell soda,” went one typical reaction.
Later Tuesday, Pepsi defended the ad, telling TheWrap in a statement, “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 import message to convey.”
However, Pepsi reversed course on Wednesday, pulling the ad and issuing an apology.
“Pepsi was trying to project a global message of unity, peace and understanding,” the company said in a statement. “Clearly we missed the mark, and we apologize. We did not intend to make light of any serious issue. We are pulling the content and halting any further rollout. We also apologize for putting Kendall Jenner in this position.”