The Chemical Brothers Predicted Kendall Jenner’s Controversial Pepsi Ad in 1999
Yesterday, Pepsi released a new ad in which Kendall Jenner joins a mass protest and wins over a police officer with a can of Pepsi, apparently solving everyone’s problems. (Unsurprisingly, the ad has proven controversial—see some artist reactions below.) As well as nodding to last year’s iconic image of riot police confronting a Baton Rouge protestor, the ad will also be familiar to anyone who remembers the Chemical Brothers’ 1999 video for “Out of Control,” as Rosario Dawson, who starred in the video, and journalist Dorian Lynskey point out. In the clip, directed by W.I.Z., two survivors of an urban riot run through backstreets and finally face off against police—only to take theatrical gulps from bottles of a made-up cola drink. The camera pans out to reveal we’re watching a TV set; the revolution televised was in fact a soda commercial. In the video’s conclusion, the ad seems to have fueled further protests against the soda company itself. Watch the Chem Bros’ clip below. Update (1:30 p.m.): Pepsi has taken down its controversial ad. In a statement, the company said, “Pepsi was trying to project a global message of unity, peace and understanding. Clearly, we missed the mark, and we apologize.” Read the full statement below.
Among those who’ve heavily criticized the ad is Questlove. Below, see his tweets, as well as reactions from Arcade Fire’s Will Butler, Mogwai’s Stuart Braithwaite, Anna Wise, and others.
Read “How Pepsi Used Pop Music to Build an Empire” on the Pitch.
Pepsi’s statement. pic.twitter.com/ge8uMcamGa
— Jennifer Maloney (@maloneyfiles) April 5, 2017
Eerily reminiscent of Chemical Brothers”Out Of Control”vid we shot in Mexico City ~15 yrs ago sadly minus the point: https://t.co/LTI9mJ7zjS https://t.co/DqBjKdQylS
— Rosario Dawson (@rosariodawson) April 4, 2017
that Pepsi commercial was genius troll move of the year, 4 days from April Fools? we talkin/meming bout em too? #WellPlayed
— Questlove Gomez (@questlove) April 5, 2017
lol I’m DYIN….this HAS to have been a planned prank….—i know I’m late. just got in from work
— Questlove Gomez (@questlove) April 5, 2017
wait….is this supposed to be like sis in Louisiana defiantly staring injustice in the face—i can’t stop watc—sigh man lemme go to bed
— Questlove Gomez (@questlove) April 5, 2017
ok. dear corporations let this be a lesson. you run the risk of getting DRAGGED if your boardroom shows NO diversity.—there is NO excuse
— Questlove Gomez (@questlove) April 5, 2017
for not ONE PERSON to smack some sense in y’all. i mean I’m laughing. cause .0000003 percent of me hopes this was some “lets troll em! “move
— Questlove Gomez (@questlove) April 5, 2017
but it’s 2017. lemme find out y’all thought this was a dope idea w/o having well rounded staff to be like “bad idea”—
— Questlove Gomez (@questlove) April 5, 2017
or y’all just hail mary’d some plan to just make all of us spend 10 tweets about this.—–come on now…..really?!
— Questlove Gomez (@questlove) April 5, 2017
.@KendallJenner @pepsi MY EYES
— stuart braithwaite (@plasmatron) April 4, 2017
that new pepsi advert is white privilegalicious.
— MNEK (@MNEK) April 5, 2017
That @pepsi ad had to go through so many rounds of approval. NO ONE thought this was a terrible, offensive idea? Not one person?
— Anna Wise (@annathewise) April 5, 2017
Really though has anybody ever wanted a Pepsi?
— ZEDS DEAD (@zedsdead) April 5, 2017
@EsotericCD @Chris_arnade Weirdly, “Pepsi” was actually an ethnic slur used by the anglophones in Quebec against the poor French: https://t.co/hdaJMgzziT
— Will Butler (@butlerwills) April 4, 2017
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