PepsiCo was forced to pull a Mountain Dew online advertisement after complaints it was racially charged and poked fun of violence against women.
The 60-second spot featured a white woman on crutches trying to pick her suspected batterer out of a line-up of black men. A goat character called Felicia is among the suspects in the line-up. And while the spot plays, the goat character keeps threatening the woman: “Ya better not snitch on a player,” and “Keep ya mouth shut,” AP reported. The battered woman finally screams, “I can’t do this, no, no, no,” and runs away.
The word “do” is a play on Mountain Dew’s “Dew It” slogan, AP said.
Several complained, calling the ad insensitive to women and blacks. PepsiCo apologized and admitted in a statement that the ad could be perceived as offensive, AP reported. The company quickly removed the spot. It was never meant to air on television, PepsiCo spokespeople said, in the AP report.
• Cheryl K. Chumley can be reached at cchumley@washingtontimes.com.
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