Kendall Jenner Pepsi Ad Is Pulled Amid Major Backlash

Kendall Jenner's new Pepsi commercial just got canned.

Less than 24 hours after Pepsi premiered their newest ad featuring Jenner, the beverage brand has announced that they are pulling the two-and-a-half-minute commercial amid major backlash. Everyone from Bernice King, the daughter of iconic civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr., to Lena Dunham have spoken out against the ad. Twitter users took to the to the social media platform to call out the spot for being "tone- deaf" and disrespectful of the #BlackLivesMatter movement.

"Pepsi was trying to project a global message of unity, peace and understanding," the company said in a statement to The New York Times on April 5, 2017. "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".

The ad depicts a protest march that the reality star sees going on while she is in the middle of a photoshoot. In a moment of passion, Jenner decides to join the group of protesters and the commercial ends with her handing a Pepsi to an officer as a peace offering. In the midst of social unrest across the country, many did not respond positively to the thought that peace can be achieved with a soft drink.

Some were quick to compare the image of Jenner coming face-to-face with the police officer and handing him a Pepsi to the award-winning image taken from a protest in Baton Rouge, La. that shows Ieshia Evans offering her hands as a sign of peace to a group of officers.

Just a few hours after the ad premiered, Pepsi released a statement in which they defended it and responded to the criticism. "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". It's clear that the company is now singing a different tune.

Jenner has yet to comment on the controversy surrounding the ad.