Tone-deafなCM

My Big Apple NY2017年04月05日 23:30
日本人には理解できない？ペプシのCM、全米で大炎上のワケ

アメリカメディアが袋叩きしているCMについて的外れなためかtone-deafと評されています。

Coca-Cola Did It Better
It's not the first time a marketing team has used societal angst to sell sugar water.
BY KAITLIN MENZA
APR 5, 2017 

The internet is in an uproar and it's a Kardashian's fault—or, at least, a Jenner sister. After a few days of teasing the campaign on her social media, the 21-year-old Kendall Jenner debuted her new commercial with Pepsi. It's called, in keeping with our nonsensical times where words no longer stand for ideas and down is up, "Live For Now Moments Anthem."
You almost don't need to watch it—you can imagine it—but somehow it's even worse than you think it'll be. Jenner is busy at a stuffy fashion photo shoot but keeps getting distracted by a march of protestors walking past her window, until she decides to join them. The protest is blocked by a line of police officers, so Jenner thinks quickly and hands one a Pepsi. He smiles. She smiles. She fist-bumps a black guy.



ここで比較として持ち出されているのはベトナム戦争時の1971年のコカコーラのCM。

The campaign is tone-deaf, almost surreal in its thoughtlessness, and perverse in its attempt to use the fear and suffering of Americans to sell soda. It's also a little old-fashioned. Coca-Cola launched a similar campaign almost half a century ago, bouncing off protest motifs from the Vietnam War era.

炎上前と後のPepsiのコメントを読み比べてみます。

See Kendall Jenner in Her New Pepsi Ad
By E.J. Schultz. Published on April 04, 2017.

The ad "captures the spirit and actions of those people that jump into every moment," Pepsi said in a statement. "It features multiple lives, stories and emotional connections that show passion, joy, unbound and uninhibited moments. No matter the occasion, big or small, these are the moments that make us feel alive."

******

PURCHASE, N.Y., April 5, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- "Pepsi was trying to project a global message of unity, peace and understanding. Clearly we missed the mark, and we apologize. We did not intend to make light of any serious issue. We are removing the content and halting any further rollout. We also apologize for putting Kendall Jenner in this position."

まあ文法的にはPepsi was trying to不定詞の表現で当初意図してやった行動が失敗したことが推測できます。やはりその後にClearly we missed the mark, and we apologize.（明らかに的外れなもので謝罪します）と続いていますね。We did not intend to make light of any serious issue.（深刻な問題を軽んじる意図はありませんでした）としていますが、No matter the occasion, big or small, these are the moments that make us feel alive.と書いていた時点でなぜデモが必要かについては思いが至っていないことがわかります。

（炎上前）It features multiple lives, stories and emotional connections that show passion, joy, unbound and uninhibited moments.
（炎上後）Pepsi was trying to project a global message of unity, peace and understanding.

（炎上前）No matter the occasion, big or small, these are the moments that make us feel alive.
（炎上後）We did not intend to make light of any serious issue.

様々な人種を登場させ、社会性っぽい感じを持たせているものの単なるおしゃれな感じだからという域を出ていないと思われても仕方がないですね。堂本かおるさんもツイートでこの問題を取り上げていました。

堂本かおる
非難囂々のペプシCM、ロングバージョン。ブラックライブスマターのイメージを丸ごと拝借し、マイノリティを使いまくり。でも救世主は白人のケンドール・ジェナー。金髪のカツラを脱ぎ捨ててマイノリティに仲間入り。

堂本さんはCMの語り口も取り上げています。こういうのはwhite savior（白人救世主）というそうで。。。

（Wikipedia）
白人の救世主
映画における白人の救世主(英語: white savior)とは、白人が非白人の人々を窮地から救うという定型的な表現である[1]。その表現は、アメリカ合衆国の映画の中で長い歴史がある[2]。白人の救世主は、メシア的な存在として描かれ、救出の過程で自身についてしばしば何かを学ぶ[1]。

（Wikipedia）
White Savior
The term white savior, sometimes combined with savior complex to write white savior complex, refers to a white person who acts to help people of color, with the help in some contexts perceived to be self-serving. The role is considered a modern-day version of what is expressed in the poem "The White Man's Burden" (1899) by Rudyard Kipling.[1] The term has been associated with Africa, and certain characters in film and television have been critiqued as white savior figures. Writer Teju Colecombined the term and industrial complex to coin "White Savior Industrial Complex".

アトランティクはこれだけ大炎上したんだから広告は大成功だと皮肉に語っていました（汗）

Pepsi's New Ad Is a Total Success
Every feature of the “Jump In” ad benefits the company—even the act of pulling it from the airwaves.
IAN BOGOST 2:17 PM ET

広告制作も難しいですね。単にありがちなCMフォーマットは見向きもされないし、話題になるのを求めてギリギリの線を狙えば今回のように大炎上を起こしてしまうし。。。