1

Critical Analysis of the Pepsi Live for Now Campaign

(Appendix A; PepsiCo, n.d.)

Theo Haubrich, Justyna Jablonska, Anthony Gentile, Ryan Downey, Olivia Capasso
Sacred Heart University
CM 126 A: History of Advertising and PR
Professor Mark Congdon
October 31, 2020
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Table of Contents
Executive Summary………………………………………………………………….…………....3
Introduction…………………………………………………………………………….………….6
Overview of the Live for Now Campaign………………………..…...….……...…….….............8
Analysis of the Live for Now Campaign through CSR……………………………….…..…......10
People………………………………………………………………………………….…11
Profit…………………………………………………………………………………......11
Analysis of Strategies of the Live for Now Campaign………………………………………......12
Strategy One: Connecting Pepsi Product to Current Social Movements…………….......12
Instant Gratification Ideology……………………………………………………13
Implications of Representations in Campaign​…………………………...13
Strategy Two: Celebrity Spokesperson……………………………………………....…..14
White Savior Complex Ideology………………………………………………...15
Implications of Representations in Campaign​…………………………...16
Recommendations for Campaign………………………………………………………….....…..18
Things Campaign Should Continue to Do………………………………….……….…...18
Specific Recommendations to Embrace CSR……………………………………………18
Specific Recommendations for the Strategies Used……………………………………..19
Conclusion………………………………………………………………………………….……21
References…………………………………………………………………………………..……22
Appendix…………………………………………………………………………………………25
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Executive Summary
Human rights issues are the kind of topic a company should be extremely knowledgeable
about before attempting to use them to sell their product. When the audience can clearly see the
disingenuous portrayal of said human rights issue, such as profitable advertisements perceived to
be about the Black Lives Matter movement, backlash will be almost immediate. This is exactly
what happened to Pepsi back in 2017 during their Live for Now campaign. This advertisement,
starring Kendall Jenner, was pulled almost as quickly as it was aired and sparked a huge uproar
across all social media platforms. While Pepsi had the intention of bringing people together with
their message of unity, they unfortunately failed. This was mainly due to their centering of white
individuals throughout the campaign, which reinforced lighter-skinned dominance within
society.

Overview of the Live for Now Campaign

The Live for Now campaign was active from 2012 to 2017. The first analyzed strategy is
the use of a light-hearted and party atmosphere in all of their advertisements, which continued
within their Kendall Jenner one in 2017. However, it was shockingly misplaced due to the
perceived topic of the protest: Black Lives Matter. The second analyzed strategy is the use of
various celebrities throughout the campaign. Pepsi chose to center more light-skinned celebrities,
though, which contributed to the backlash of the Kendall Jenner advertisement in 2017. Pepsi
also had an overall lack of diversity/inclusion throughout all advertisements in the Live for Now
campaign, which could have been the result of the potential lack of diversity at the higher levels
of the company’s in-house agency.

Analysis of the Live for Now Campaign through Corporate Social Responsibility
Holding companies accountable to certain “economic, legal, ethical and discretionary”
expectations is becoming increasingly important (Carroll & Buchholtz, 2014, p. 36, as cited in
Page & Parnell, 2019, p. 7). Additionally, companies are now somewhat expected to use their
voice and platform to improve societal issues. Applying these expectations to the Kendall Jenner
advertisement reveals that it was not successful and Pepsi did not use their platform to raise
awareness for an important human rights issue. Instead, Pepsi showed Kendall Jenner seemingly
solve the perceived complex problem of police brutality against people of color, with a can of
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their soda. Also, Pepsi did nothing additional to make a sustainable impact and use their platform
to raise awareness for anything of substance.

Analysis of Strategies of the Live for Now Campaign: Strategy One

The first analyzed strategy is how Pepsi showed the audience a “good time” through a
party atmosphere and light-hearted surroundings in all of their advertisements in this campaign.
This was done to bring people together and convey a message of unity through pleasing
experiences and showing individuals having fun. This strategy had an underlying message,
though: the audience has the right to instant gratification and to be happy at all times. Pepsi’s
attempt at an inclusive and progressive advertisement was a way to instantly gratify themselves.
However, it is more about what the brand does, rather than says. This strategy, as well as the
underlying message, ultimately trivialized, what was interpreted to be, the Black Lives Matter
movement, and protests in general.

Analysis of Strategies of the Live for Now Campaign: Strategy Two

The second analyzed strategy is how Pepsi used celebrities as spokespeople throughout a
majority of their advertisements in this campaign. Specific examples include Nicki Minaj, One
Direction, and Beyoncé. While two out of these three celebrities are Black, the advertisements
are actually white centered. Nicki Minaj is only shown briefly and Beyoncé’s hairstyle reflects
European beauty features: straight hair and blonde highlights. Fast forward to 2017, Pepsi put a
white celebrity at the center of an advertisement that many people interpreted to relate to Black
Lives Matter. This was problematic, to say the least; it showed Kendall Jenner as a white savior
and reinforced damaging concepts that a white individual can solve complex situations that relate
to people of color.

Recommendations for Campaign

The Live for Now campaign implemented nothing that Pepsi should continue to do in the
future. The first recommendation would be to diversify their representation in future
advertisements. Other recommendations include donating some of their earnings per product to
an important cause, supporting societal behaviors to improve safety/health/environment factors,
and having a more inclusive writing/filming/reviewing process for all marketing materials. In
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order to be more inclusive, they could start by centering people of color and activists (both
celebrities and regular individuals). In reference to the Kendall Jenner advertisement, Pepsi
should have chosen someone more educated on the complex problem that was interrupted by
audiences. Although, Pepsi has started implementing some of these recommendations since the
2017 backlash. Their improvements can be seen in their 2020 Superbowl advertisement, as well
as their 2020 advertisement relating to the importance of voting in an election. Both of these
show how Pepsi’s understanding of CSR, as well as an assumed higher priority of diversity in
their creation process, has developed since their failed advertisement in 2017.

Conclusion
Pepsi’s intention of bringing people together through their message of unity unfortunately
failed. This was mainly due to the centering of white individuals throughout the campaign, which
reinforced lighter-skinned dominance in society. They also did not use their platform in a
sustainable and helpful manner to raise awareness of any societal issues, specifically within the
Kendall Jenner advertisement. Additionally, Pepsi showed a party atmosphere and light-hearted
surroundings, even in this advertisement that many people perceived to be related to Black Lives
Matter. They used celebrities, but focused more on white and lighter skinned individuals across
their advertisements. Thankfully, though, some of the recommendations in this analysis have
been implemented by Pepsi, which can be seen in their 2020 advertisements.
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Introduction
● BIPOC​: ​This term stands for “Black, Indigenous and people of color” (Garcia, 2020).
The first two letters, B and I, were added on to POC to make the term more inclusive
(Garcia, 2020).
● Cause Related Marketing​:​ Contributions to a cause or charity based on a percentage of
sales revenue (Page & Parnell, 2019).
● Corporate Social Marketing​:​ Support for a behavior changing campaign to improve
safety, health, or the environment (Page & Parnell, 2019).
● CSR:​ ​Corporate Social Responsibility is a strategy in which different companies and
organizations contribute to many different issues, while also being held to certain
“economic, legal, ethical and discretionary” expectations by society through their work
(Carroll & Buchholtz, 2014, p. 36, as cited in Page & Parnell, 2019, p. 7).
● Hegemony:​ This term is “the power or dominance that one social group holds over
others” (Lull, 1995, p. 33).
● Strategy​: The overarching path of how a company is going to achieve their goals (Page
& Parnell, 2019, p. 259).
● White Centering:​ This term is defined as “putting your feelings as a white person above
the Black and POC causes you’re supposed to be helping” (Sager, 2020).
● Whiteness​:​ This is “a forced group membership that originated by oppressing people of
color” (Williams, 2020). The origin of the concept of whiteness is important to consider;
it “was imported from Spain and Portugal during the slavery era, where Whiteness was
defined as a way to contrast one’s identity as different from slaves” (Williams, 2020).
This term is usually associated with privilege and power.

In the media, there are different strategies and thought processes that go into creating any
advertisement or work of public relations, no matter the topic. In today's day and age, there are
so many human rights and societal issues to be discussed and sometimes major conglomerates,
industries, or empires completely miss the mark when attempting to address these issues. For
example, in 2017, Pepsi released an advertisement addressing, what seemed to be, the topic of
racial inequality through the portrayal of a protest that many assumed was linked to Black Lives
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Matter (reference Appendix B to view this advertisement).​ ​This complex issue seemed to have
been resolved by celebrity, Kendall Jenner, handing a police officer a Pepsi.

(Appendix C and D; ​Full Pepsi Commercial Starring Kendal Jenner, ​2017)

Many people felt that the company was trivializing protests and downplaying their effects on
society. This advertisement was a part of the Live for Now campaign which had a plethora of
problems that will be analyzed in the following pages. A major issue within this campaign, as
well as this advertisement, was the implementation of white centering. This term is defined as
“putting your feelings as a white person above the Black and POC causes you’re supposed to be
helping” (Sager, 2020). This official definition mostly relates to the Kendall Jenner
advertisement in the Live for Now campaign. The portrayal of an important protest, seemingly
related to complex racial issues, put the white celebrity [Jenner] in the spotlight. It could be
assumed that she “solved” the problem at the core of the protest, simply by handing a police
officer a Pepsi. However, earlier on in the campaign, the advertisements used the more literal
definition of white centering and simply only focused on white individuals in their storylines.
They also did not attempt to help or promote any important causes at all. This significant lack of
diversity, as well as Pepsi’s obvious lack of priority for more representation, reinforced the
concept of hegemonic power. Hegemony is defined as “the power or dominance that one social
group holds over others” (Lull, 1995, p. 33). By embedding this in their Live for Now campaign,
Pepsi countered their goal of togetherness. This analysis of the Live for Now campaign also
focuses on Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and analyzes this advertisement, as well as
many others. Major companies, who are a household name, have the ability to use their
influential platforms to highlight important issues in an extremely positive and helpful manner.
When they do not do this, backlash can ensue; that is exactly what happened to Pepsi after their
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2017 Kendall Jenner advertisement. Pepsi’s intention to bring people together, with a certain
message of unity, failed, mainly due to their centering of whiteness throughout the campaign,
which reinforced hegemonic power.

Overview of the Live for Now Campaign

In 2017, Pepsi released an advertisement within the Live for Now campaign that showed
a non-specific protest taking place, perceived to be related to the Black Lives Matter movement.
All of the previous advertisements in this campaign had shown a party atmosphere and this one
was no different. However, this was extremely misplaced and “due to crushing condemnation
from critics and social media users claiming that the ad was co-opting protest movements – such
as Black Lives Matter – for commercial gain, Pepsi® had to pull the advertisement off the air
and off the internet less than 48 hours after the initial release” (Tillman, n.d.). At the center of it,
Kendall Jenner, a white wealthy celebrity, was shown presumably solving problems with race
and inequality by handing a Pepsi to a police officer. This advertisement “plays down the
sacrifices people have historically taken in utilizing protests” (Victor, 2017). It also did not show
the reality or how devastating protests can actually be. Later on, on her family reality show,
Keeping up with the Kardashians,​ Jenner is shown crying and apologizing for participating in the
advertisement without realizing how it would be perceived by the audience.
From the beginning of the campaign in 2012 to this last advertisement in 2017, their
target audience was younger millennials and older generation z’ers who wanted to have a good
time wherever they were. Throughout this campaign, they have implemented other problematic
strategies in more subtle ways.The first strategy Pepsi implemented in the Live for Now
campaign was showing the audience a “good time” with the party atmosphere, and primarily
light-hearted surroundings.
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(Appendix E; PepsiCo, 2012)

The second strategy Pepsi implemented in the Live for Now campaign was the use of celebrities
as their spokespeople. Neither of these strategies were perceived well in their 2017 advertisement
specifically, with both of them contributing to its huge backlash. Regarding this Kendall Jenner
advertisement, “it has been reported by the British tabloid ​The Daily Mirror​ that the team of six
people at the company’s in-house agency who oversaw the ad were all white” (Pinsker, 2017).
Pepsi continuously lacked inclusive advertisements throughout the duration of the Live for Now
campaign, potentially due to their lack of diversity at the higher levels of the company’s in-house
agency. Although Pepsi intended to improve their CSR and show the world that they can support
social issues, they failed miserably, resulting in the intense backlash.

​(Appendix F; PepsiCo, 2013)

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Analysis of the Live for Now Campaign through CSR

Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) is a strategy in which different companies and
organizations contribute to many different issues, while also being held to certain “economic,
legal, ethical and discretionary” expectations by society through their work (Carroll &
Buchholtz, 2014, p. 36, as cited in Page & Parnell, 2019, p. 7). CSR engagement practices may
also focus on advancing various human rights issues, where companies use their platform and
influence to raise awareness and/or attempt to change policies. One example of advancing human
rights that companies may work towards in CSR initiatives is fighting against discrimination
faced by certain groups of individuals like people of color, women, and the LGBTQ+
community, among others. Morrell (2018) states: “Society is demanding that companies, both
public and private, serve a social purpose”. This quote, from the article​ “​ CEO of $US6.3 trillion
​ akes various points
fund BlackRock warns companies they must 'serve a social purpose”,​ m
regarding the importance of companies using their voice to improve societal issues. Companies
can run campaigns or have different approaches to show their support in the public eye for
marginalized groups of people or those who do not have the means to flourish on a daily basis.
The advertisements within the Live for Now campaign were intended to promote
happiness, togetherness, and love among diverse groups of people. However, their Kendall
Jenner advertisement missed the mark since this happy atmosphere was extremely misplaced
within, what was perceived to be, a Black Lives Matter protest.

​(Appendix G, H, I and J; ​Full Pepsi Commercial Starring Kendal Jenner, 2​ 017)

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This advertisement ended with Kendall Jenner passing a Pepsi to a police officer, signaling peace
and a resolution to whatever the protest was meant to be about. Although the goal of this
campaign was to always receive a positive reaction, looking back on it in 2020, it clearly implies
derogatory messages regarding people of color.
Pepsi had a powerful idea going into this campaign, but unfortunately went about it the
wrong way and ended up offending many different groups of people. They had a smart societal
goal and were attempting to touch upon a sensitive subject in a positive way. However, they
ended up receiving so much backlash due to their tone-deaf Kendall Jenner advertisement that
they chose to end the campaign.

People
Pepsi intended to be inclusive, but there were different groups that were offended due to
this advertisement, mainly people of color and allies. There were certain groups that were Pepsi’s
“target audience” throughout this campaign as Pepsi was trying to attract different groups of
people. There was also no volunteer work or any other sustainable actions implemented during
this campaign. Pepsi failed to raise accurate awareness of important societal issues and use their
platform to make a significant impact/change on society.

Profit
Pepsi’s Live for Now campaign was a turbulent time for the company as a whole due to
its prior success and world renown products. This campaign brought many different issues and
controversial discussions into play when publishing their marketing materials and
advertisements. As in any company, when backlash is received, especially for a human rights or
political issue, the numbers and profit will be affected. There were many reports regarding the
financial numbers for the company. This was due to how the scenarios of racism, insensitivity to
human rights issues and oppressed individuals were publicized. The first major downfall of Pepsi
occurred in 2009 when their profit fell a total of 43%, New York Times reported (The
Associated Press, 2009). On April 5 2017, less than 48 hours after it was aired, the Kendall
Jenner Pepsi advertisement was pulled due to the amount of social media rage it created. The
intense backlash led to many internal decisions for the company regarding advertising, but they
had full plans to
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“shape up” and recover from a financial standpoint (Adams & Telling, 2017). The advertisement
cost the company millions to make due to many different things such as casting Jenner as the
star, as well as the shooting location and paying the crew. The fact that it was pulled right after
release, put them in a tough situation due to the amount of expenses. Pepsi has worked to do
better and has been expected to make a full financial recovery.

Analysis of Strategies of the Live for Now Campaign

Strategy One: Connecting Pepsi Product to Current Social Movements

Pepsi undertook various strategies to accomplish their goal of increasing sales. The first
strategy Pepsi implemented in the Live for Now campaign was showing the audience a “good
time” with the party atmosphere, and primarily light-hearted surroundings. This was done in
order to bring people together in unity and connection. The party scene enables a space for
people to join others, socialize, and take part in something. Within this campaign, advertisements
located at concerts and/or built around performers/performances–Nicki Minaj, One Direction,
My Tam–place the audience in a high-spirited environment, which is founded mostly on pleasing
experiences and used for entertainment purposes (see Appendix K, L, and M for these
advertisements). Even the advertisements without famous individuals, for the most part, establish
togetherness at festivities, which are based on leisure and pleasure in a fun-loving environment
(see at the top of the next page, as well as the rest of the Appendix, for more examples within
these advertisements).

(Appendix N; ​Pepsi Max - Live for now,​ 2014)

However, the advertisements constructed to empower or motion people to do something and/or

change–the ones with celebrities such as Beyoncé, Janelle Monáe, and of course Kendall
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Jenner–still produce a sense of celebration (see Appendix O, P, and B for these advertisements).
Accordingly, Pepsi also attempted to showcase themselves as a brand with a socially relevant
and unifying message (Tillman, n.d.).

Instant Gratification Ideology

By implementing the strategy of creating a “good time,” Pepsi embedded the hidden
ideologies of having the right to instant gratification, as well as the right to be happy at all times.
This hidden ideology represents the campaign as only fun and meant for amusement, which is
problematic. As indicated within the campaign, a Pepsi can be and is a problem solver.
Therefore, this Pepsi message is also troublesome, specifically in the Kendall Jenner
advertisement (see Appendix B for this advertisement). Mentioning a movement–or suggesting
one, since there is never a direct sign–does not actually fix the whole problem. This attempt was
a way for Pepsi to instantly gratify themselves by being inclusive and progressive: “Although
changing logos and images with racist undertones, making solidarity statements against racism
and creating support for the Black community is good, there is much more brands can and should
do” (Sidibe, 2020). According to Myriam Sidibe, as well as Page & Parnell, the central point
regards what the brand does rather than says–actually changing their ways/actions implementing
CSR. Hence, this serves as a signal to people that instant contributions, such as donating to a
movement/organization or buying a book, solves the problem as a whole. However, it plainly
gratifies guilt. According to Layla Saad within Deggans (2020), “white exceptionalism” drives
white people as if they believed themselves to be “one of the good ones”. This idea is dangerous
throughout because one is unaware of the ways that they cause harm to others.

Implications of Representations in Campaign

There are severe implications of the strategy, to show the audience a good time, as well
as the hidden ideologies, the right to instant gratification and the right to be happy at all times,
within this campaign. Instead of experiencing something positive, as Pepsi intended bringing
people together, much backlash occurred. People united, but in regard to disapproving the
Kendall Jenner advertisement rather than being inspired by it. According to Tillman (n.d.),
“Many people criticized the advertisements for its insensitive approach and for what some
viewers found to be improper execution of the desired message. During the advertisement,
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Jenner joins the protest and eventually approaches a cop, who is standing guard over the
protestors, with a can of Pepsi. He takes a sip”. This does not incorporate the significance of the
Black Lives Matter movement, which was the interpreted topic of the portrayed protest. It
trivializes it by not making it seem as important as it is, nor showing how much courage it takes
to be a part of one; protests are definitely not the same as parties. Tillman (n.d.) states, “Many
Twitter users expressed concern and disgust following the ad’s release, claiming that it
trivialized real-life protests where several people lost their lives fighting for an actual cause.
Some users hated that Pepsi® made itself look like the cure for all social problems” (Tillman,
n.d.). Thus, the other advertisements in this campaign serve as a juxtaposition that make the
Kendall Jenner advertisement even more offensive.

(Appendix Q; ​Full Pepsi Commercial Starring Kendal Jenner, 2​ 017)

Strategy Two: Celebrity Spokesperson

The second strategy Pepsi implemented in the Live for Now campaign was the use of
celebrities as their spokespeople. They used famous individuals as a way to grab the viewer’s
attention and draw them into their beverage. Olenski (2016) stated that “people idolize
celebrities, so when famous people are seen in advertisements promoting a new product,
audiences are prompted to buy that product, either subliminally or directly”. Some examples of
this strategy within the Live for Now campaign are the appearances of Nicki Minaj, One
Direction, and Beyoncé. Refer to Appendix K, L, and O to view these advertisements; they were
all relatively “normal” for their times and did not result in any backlash from the public.
However, even though two out of those three celebrities listed are Black, analyzing those
advertisements clearly shows they are still white centered. For example, the viewer only sees
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Nicki Minaj briefly in her 2012 advertisement. Even though her music is playing in the
background, the rest of the video is focused on two white individuals. As for the Beyoncé
advertisement, her hairstyle reinforces a European beauty feature: straight hair and blonde
highlights.

(Appendix R;​ Beyoncé Live For Now “Grown Woman” - Official Pepsi Commercial”,​ 2013)

There are remaining white centering examples within a majority of the advertisements in the
Live for Now campaign. Reference Appendix B, K-M, O-P, and S-T to watch them all, this time
specifically looking for examples of white centering. However, in their 2017 advertisement, this
concept was extremely misplaced and garnered huge backlash. It featured Kendall Jenner at the
center of an important protest with a police presence, leading many people to assume it was
referencing the Black Lives Matter movement.

White Savior Complex Ideology

Centering a privileged white celebrity in the Kendall Jenner advertisement, presumably
showing a protest about significant race issues, was not received well by the public. By doing
this, Pepsi, unfortunately, presented the problematic White Savior Complex ideology. This is
when a white individual is shown solving a complicated problem that relates to race. It is often
seen in movies; a white savior is someone “courageous” enough to step outside the “norms” and
risk being ostracised by their prejudiced community (The Take, 2020). They do this in order to
help people of color with whatever situation they are trying to solve (The Take, 2020). A white
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savior is usually the main focus of the story and unintentionally pushes people of color to the
side, even though they are calling for inclusion (The Take, 2020). Lastly, this type of movie
tends to have a happy ending, “which comforts viewers with the false sense that the ongoing,
complex problem of racism is essentially solved by the end of the 2-hour movie” (The Take,
2020, 2:00). In Kendall Jenner’s case, she followed the definition of a white savior closely; she
stopped doing
her photoshoot, joined protestors, and resolved tensions by handing the police officer a Pepsi.
The last scene is Jenner leading the protestors toward the camera with no signs or police in sight.
This resembles the “happy ending” commonly seen in white savior movies. It shows that the
protest is over and can be interpreted to mean that the problem of police brutality, towards
BIPOC individuals, was solved by Jenner.

(Appendix U; ​Full Pepsi Commercial Starring Kendal Jenner, 2​ 017)

Implications of Representations in Campaign

There are severe implications to how this White Savior Complex ideology is portrayed
within this advertisement. As mentioned above, it gives viewers a false comforting feeling that
these types of complex situations, relating to race, can be solved by a white individual. It
trivializes the problems and experiences of BIPOC individuals with police, decentering their
voices. Additionally, it shows white people that you can be seen as some sort of “hero” when
helping people of color, also reinforced in the popular movie, ​The Help (​ The Take, 2020). This
film was trending on Netflix back in June and unbeknownst to most viewers who did not analyze
it critically, it reinforces the concept of a white savior (The Take, 2020).This is a toxic mindset;
 17

white individuals should not be seen or portrayed in this way. Another implication of this
ideology is that it contributes to showing a skewed reality of what a protest is like, especially
when it is relating to race issues. There is a stark comparison between this advertisement's
portrayal and how the Black Lives Matter protests actually played out this year. The portrayed
“comfortable” relationship with the police in this advertisement is rarely seen in real life. By
showcasing a white celebrity easily walking up and seemingly solving the situation with the
wave of their hand, it is ultimately a kick in the face to BIPOC individuals who have not been
treated this way by police at a protest. In the article, “Pepsi Pulls Ad Accused of Trivializing
Black Lives Matter​”​ by Daniel Victor, he states that this advertisement “...minimized the danger
protesters encounter and the frustration they feel” (Victor, 2017). It trivialized real protests and
made them seem less significant than they are. Pepsi also, unfortunately, played “down the
sacrifices people have historically taken in utilizing protests” (Victor, 2017). See below for a
tweet from Martin Luther King Jr.’s daughter, Bernice King, regarding the tone-deaf message of
this advertisement (Victor, 2017). To conclude, using a white celebrity to convey this white
savior complex in solving a problem, presumably about race, is an inexcusable moral failure on
Pepsi’s part.

(Tweet from user @BerniceKing, 2017)

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Recommendations for Campaign

Things Campaign Should Continue to Do

Pepsi’s Live for Now campaign was created with the intention of bringing people
together but unfortunately had a significant amount of hegemony embedded within it. The 2012
article from​ ​PR Newswire includes a quote from former PepsiCo President of Global Enjoyment
Brands, Brad Jakeman, where he states: “Pepsi has always inspired people to embrace the 'now'
by being at the epicenter of, and helping to define, pop-culture. 'Live for Now' embodies a
mind-set that is true of Pepsi loyalists around the world, while still connecting with a large and
growing number of consumers who share the same values” (PepsiCo, 2012). One way Pepsi
incorporated the concept of living in the now and defining pop-culture was by including
celebrities in their advertisements. However, throughout the campaign, it is clear to see that
Pepsi provided more screen time for lighter skinned celebrities, such as One Direction, Drew
Brees, and Kendall Jenner, over darker skinned celebrities. Nicki Minaj and Janelle Monáe only
had cameos within their advertisements, while the ones for lighter skinned celebrities
significantly focused on them. The one exception would be the Beyoncé advertisement in 2013
that was solely dedicated to her. When the campaign was first established in 2012, social media
influencers were not as popular as they are today. By incorporating well-known celebrities
during the campaign's duration, it helped create more exposure for Pepsi. When choosing these
individuals, though, they strayed away from their campaign goal of creating unity, and instead
portrayed white centering. This proved to be detrimental in Pepsi’s 2017 Kendall Jenner
advertisement. Overall, this campaign did nothing that Pepsi should continue to implement in the
future. In order to better align their advertisements with their Live for Now campaign goal, Pepsi
must start diversifying their future advertisements by including more people of color, and letting
go of the hegemonic mindset.

Specific Recommendations to Embrace CSR

When researching to see what Pepsi had done to embrace CSR for the Live for Now
campaign, it was difficult to find anything. Pepsi chose to center their advertisements around
celebrities and major events. During the research phase, it was difficult to locate any examples of
cause-related marketing, corporate social marketing, or community volunteering. The only
strong example of CSR that arose from the Live for Now campaign was Pepsi’s implementation
 19

of Socially Responsible Business Practices. This is seen in Pepsi’s 2020 Palm Oil Sustainability
Report (PepsiCo, 2020a). Prior to that, Pepsi was using conflict palm oil; after years of backlash,
they started taking steps to ensure their palm oil was conflict free and traceable.
Going off of that, specific recommendations to improve the Live for Now campaign
would be to implement cause related marketing as well as corporate social marketing. To begin,
cause related marketing is when a company donates a portion of their earnings per product to a
cause or charity. An example of this is Apple and their product Red line where they donate a
portion of their commission, per product, to help fund HIV/AIDS research in Africa. Next,
corporate social marketing is when a corporation supports societal behaviors to improve safety,
health, or the environment. Pepsi tried to implement this concept in their 2017 Kendall Jenner
advertisement, which was presumably in support of the Black Lives Matter movement. They
failed to show genuine support for the rising movement by having it centered around white
celebrity, Kendall Jenner. In order to improve this advertisement and the ones that follow it,
Pepsi must be more inclusive in the writing, filming, and reviewing procedure. By doing this, it
will help dismantle the whiteness and hegemony within the corporation.

Specific Recommendations for the Strategies Used

When launching the Live for Now campaign in 2012, Pepsi had alright strategies:
portraying a party atmosphere that invoked happiness from the audience, as well as using
celebrities to help market their company on a global platform. However, the strategies that Pepsi
used were not as concerned with diverse representation as society was. For the duration of the
Live for Now campaign, they included notable celebrities like Kendall Jenner, One Direction,
Drew Brees, and more (reference Appendix B, K-M, and O-P to view these celebrity
advertisements). Although using a familiar face is good in campaigns, white centering is not,
which is exactly what Pepsi did. In order for Pepsi to portray itself as a more inclusive and
diverse company, it is recommended that they start diversifying their advertisements. They
should do this by including and centering people of color–celebrities and regular individuals–as
well as hire activists who better understand the cause, if attempting to reference an important
human rights issue. In addition to a different plotline in the Jenner advertisement, Pepsi could
have instead chosen to include Alicia Keys, a woman of color activist who founded the We Are
Here Movement, which was created “for equality and social justice” (Page & Parnell, 2019, p.
 20

347). After the backlash of the Jenner advertisement in 2017, Pepsi did start to implement more
inclusive, diverse, and non-stereotypical representation in their current campaigns. This can be
seen in their 2020 Superbowl advertisement, ​Zero Sugar. Done Right. Extended Cut (​ PepsiCo,
2020b).

(PepsiCo, 2020b; ​Zero Sugar. Done Right. Extended Cut​)

This advertisement stars H.E.R. and Missy Elliot, two women of color known for their music. It
portrays a large crowd filled with people in red suits. For this advertisement, Pepsi chose to
diversify the crowd and to have H.E.R. break the formation and create individuality. Although
Pepsi chose to use celebrities, they now select those who best represent their updated message.
​ epsi’s Presidential Election advertisement for 2020, they focus
In ​Unmute Your Voice, P
on the individual's voice and the importance of voter participation (PepsiCo, 2020c). What Pepsi
chose to focus on and how it is portrayed shows how their advertisements have improved over
recent years. This advertisement starts out with a more inclusive and diverse cast, each from a
different ethnic background. Each individual starts off by silently voicing their opinions and
concerns for the future, then shifting the focus by explaining the importance of voting. Both of
these advertisements show how Pepsi's understanding of CSR, along with an assumed higher
priority of diversity in their creation process, has evolved since 2017.
 21

Conclusion

As demonstrated through this analysis, Pepsi’s intention of the Live for Now campaign,
to bring people together with their message of unity, failed. This was mainly due to their
centering of whiteness, which reinforced hegemonic power. Hidden problematic ideologies
found within the advertisements are due to the various strategies Pepsi used to accomplish their
goal–increasing sales. However, without embracing CSR, the company implied derogatory
messages within their campaign. The two strategies implemented, creating and showing a “good
time” with the party atmosphere and light-hearted surroundings, as well as the use of celebrities
as spokespeople, embedded hidden ideologies within them. These ideologies communicated the
messages of the right to instant gratification, the right to be happy at all times, and the white
savior complex. Even though Pepsi undertook effective strategies and tried to incorporate CSR
by suggesting movements and other expectations of society, they were unsuccessful. Pepsi’s
products and the celebrities they used trivialized real protests, as well as the problems and
experiences of the BIPOC community. This was due to centering the Pepsi advertisements
around whiteness and not incorporating the significance of the Black Lives Matter movement,
which was widely interpreted, specifically in the Kendall Jenner advertisement. However, since
its backlash in 2017, Pepsi has improved by becoming more inclusive, diverse, and
non-stereotypical in their advertisements. Their 2020 Superbowl advertisement, as well as their
2020 Presidential Election advertisement, demonstrate significant improvements regarding
diverse representation, addressing issues, raising awareness, and attempting change. Hence,
Pepsi can now be seen incorporating CSR because they are making contributions regarding a
variety of concerns, while being held to certain standards and expectations within their work.
 22

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Appendix

A. PepsiCo, n.d.

B. ​https://youtu.be/uwvAgDCOdU4​: ​Full Pepsi Commercial Starring Kendal Jenner, 2​ 017

C. Screenshot from https://youtu.be/uwvAgDCOdU4: ​Full Pepsi Commercial Starring Kendal

Jenner,​ 2017

D. Screenshot from https://youtu.be/uwvAgDCOdU4: ​Full Pepsi Commercial Starring Kendal

Jenner,​ 2017
 26

E. PepsiCo, 2012

F. PepsiCo, 2013

G. Screenshot from ​https://youtu.be/uwvAgDCOdU4​: ​Full Pepsi Commercial Starring Kendal

Jenner, 2​ 017
 27

H. Screenshot from ​https://youtu.be/uwvAgDCOdU4​: ​Full Pepsi Commercial Starring Kendal

Jenner, 2​ 017

I. Screenshot from ​https://youtu.be/uwvAgDCOdU4​: ​Full Pepsi Commercial Starring Kendal

Jenner, 2​ 017

J. Screenshot from ​https://youtu.be/uwvAgDCOdU4​: ​Full Pepsi Commercial Starring Kendal

Jenner, 2​ 017
 28

K. ​https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Dyf9i4TogU​: ​Nicki Minaj's Pepsi Commercial 2012

(Extended Cut),​ 2012

L. ​https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sfy8UYRhmpA​: ​One Direction Pepsi Commercial with

Drew Brees [HD],​ 2012

M. ​https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OyURh7hU9Tk​: ​Pepsi - High Notes featuring My Tam,

2015

N. Screenshot from ​https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MFLVJOVu-UI​: ​Pepsi Max - Live for

now, 2​ 014

O. ​https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uSyCPCvdJ9w​: ​Beyoncé Live For Now "Grown Woman"

- Official Pepsi Commercial, 2​ 013

P. ​https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MFLVJOVu-UI​: ​Pepsi Max - Live for now ​(Janelle

Monáe appearance)​,​ 2014

Q. Screenshot from ​https://youtu.be/uwvAgDCOdU4​: ​Full Pepsi Commercial Starring Kendal

Jenner, 2​ 017
 29

R. Screenshot from ​https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uSyCPCvdJ9w​: ​Beyoncé Live For Now

"Grown Woman" - Official Pepsi Commercial, ​2013

S. ​https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k2gSWPLqNH8​: ​Pepsi "Live For Now" commercial

(director's cut)​ (focuses on regular people), 2015

T. ​https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GUXKJuvEleU​: ​Pepsi LIVE FOR NOW low (​ focuses on

regular people)​, 2​ 016

U. Screenshot from ​https://youtu.be/uwvAgDCOdU4​: ​Full Pepsi Commercial Starring Kendal

Jenner, 2​ 017