Pepsi advert: Protestors tried offering a drink to police in Baltimore, nothing changed

Pepsi is being widely mocked this morning for a new commercial that is as misguided as it is cringeworthy.

It sees model Kendall Jenner quit a photo shoot to join a peace protest, managing to singlehandedly bridge the gap between protestors and police by giving an officer a can of Pepsi.

It has been pointed out this morning that handing out drinks to police is a tactic that’s been tried in real life.

There did seem to be any smiles or chuckling from the Baltimore officer:

“We did this in Baltimore. Nothing changed @pepsi,” the poster from New York wrote.

“Brands need to hire more POC in PR. Prime example.”

The advert has spawned thousands of critiques and jokes on Twitter, with people posting photos of Martin Luther King Jr. being arrested alongside the caption: “Damn, I left my Pepsi at home” and images of police brutality with “Kendall please! Give him a Pepsi!”

Announcing the ad, Pepsi said in a statement: "This is a global ad that reflects people from different walks of life coming together in a spirit of harmony.

"We think that's an important message to convey."