Pepsi has issued an apology and removed its controversial ad featuring Kendall Jenner after the internet exploded in opposition. The ad was released on Tuesday and was gone by Wednesday morning, despite Pepsi defending the video in a statement late Tuesday night.

The ad, which featured Jenner in a platinum wig on a photo shoot as protesters walk by. She rips off her wig, smears away her lipstick and joins them before handing an officer on the demonstration line a can of Pepsi.

The officer gulps it out down, smiles at Jenner and she continue on her way.

Twitter users mocked the ad, calling it 鈥榠nsensitive鈥� and 鈥榦ut of touch鈥� and that it made light of a similarly composed photo of Black Lives Matter protester Leshi Evans last year in Louisiana. Evans was detained when she approached police at a demonstration in Baton Rouge.

In a Wednesday morning news release, the company said 鈥淧epsi 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.鈥�

the new ad evoking imagery of in Baton Rouge is total exploitative brand social activism bs 馃憢馃徏

鈥� Sherry (@slchen_)