Do big brands like Pepsi really think they can change the world?

Marketing soft drinks used to be easy. A hot day, a kid on a bike, an attractive young lady and a guy that clearly visits the gym in between performing bouts of manual labour were all that was needed to sell a can or bottle of caffeinated sugar water.

Drink this and it will quench your thirst – job done. But then brands got a little self-important.

Soft drinks, at least in the minds of the creative souls who sell them, became the central component to absolutely everything we needed to do to create an enjoyable, successful and happy life.

Big drinks brands were portrayed as fuel for the creative industries. Michael Jackson or Madonna wouldn’t step onstage without their favourite fizzy drink. Trucks full of the stuff announced the start of religious holidays and despite their connection to childhood obesity and related ailments – their logos became entwined with the commercial sponsorship of sporting events.

But Pepsi (something people largely drink when Coke isn’t available) really overstepped the mark when they tried to stamp their brand on the protest movement.

Pepsi’s latest advert featuring Kardashian offshoot Kendall Jenner, was pulled from the web (although the YouTube footage below demonstrates how ineffective that was) after social media ripped the campaign to shreds.

Just why Pepsi thought it would be a good idea to try and jump on the back of protests like Black Lives Matter (protesting against police brutality following the deaths of several black men and children) is anyone’s guess.

Did executives at Pepsi really think that a can of cola could really solve such a complex and heated problem? It’s an insult to everyone whose lives have been impacted in the run up to the protests the drink company was trying to emulate.

It’s time for big brands to give themselves a reality check.

The only problem a can of Pepsi can solve is to quench a thirst. Nothing more, nothing less.

Are big brands becoming too self-important? Share your comments below: