Keeping up with the Boundaries of Advertising: Paradigm Repair after Pepsi's Big Mess

Abstract

This paradigm repair study contributes to advertising ethics research by analyzing discourse from trade publications and press outlets regarding the divisive 2017 Kendall Jenner Pepsi advertisement. After the controversary surrounding the commercial ensued, actors within and outside the advertising industry argued the ad violated the ethical boundaries of the industry because it coopted a social issue, acted as a form of cultural appropriation, and served as an example of brand activism (gone awry). This study examines the reasons why this happened and concludes with an argument for paradigm repair's utility for studying advertising ethics, and with implications for advertising practice.