PEPSI

Kendall Jenner's new Pepsi ad is strange, at the very least.

If Mad Men taught us anything, it's that advertising works by linking a product up with an abstract feeling and giving it meaning. 

Does having your mobile phone through Vodafone have anything to do with rescuing a baby piglet? No, but the ad makes you feel good. We get it. 

Every now and then, though, an example comes along that is so obnoxious you wince a little. Pepsi's new ad starring Kendall Jenner is the latest of these. 

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Tired of political division and police brutality? Try Pepsi!

Set to the song "Lions" by Skip Marley, the spot shows a protest march with signs about peace and "joining the conversation." 

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On a photo shoot in a blonde wig, Jenner spots the rally and after a moment's thought, decides to join in. 

We'll let you take a look:

You may well wonder what the hell is going on here; you would not be alone. Jenner rips off her wig and inexplicably changes outfits, and before you know it she's handing an ice-cold Pepsi to a police officer. 

Everyone cheers, because what could be more exciting than an officer of the law cracking open a can of cola?

What is that meant to symbolise? Many of the protests this ad seeks to evoke have been against police brutality in the United States. You could call it a bit on the nose. 

On Twitter, people expressed their anger and confusion. Jack Wagner, usually best known for his memes, made the point that companies co-opting social movements in their advertising isn't a new thing. 

Others made jokes at Pepsi's expense:

If nothing else, Pepsi has hit a bum note here. You can't use the imagery of social resistance to sell soda. 

 - Stuff