Kendall Jenner Pepsi Commercial: Madonna Targets Soda Giant Who Pulled Her Ad In 1989

Hours after the controversial Pepsi advertisement drew criticism for borrowing imagery from the Black Lives Matter movement, singer Madonna shared a picture of hers from the past that showed her on the streets, walking smilingly with a can of Coca-Cola in hand. By posting the throwback picture on Instagram that shows her holding a can of Pepsi's rival, the "Papa Don't Preach" singer is likely making a statement that she is aware of Pepsi's controversial ad.

Madonna had a discord with Pepsi in the past. And perhaps the Kendall Jenner episode gave her the perfect chance to take a dig at the company as she shared a snippet of the new commercial on her Instagram page and captioned it, "When you wake up and realize that S--- just really doesn't make sense! Side Note: My Pepsi commercial was pulled 30 years ago because I was kissing a black saint! #ironic."

Read: Kendall Jenner Pepsi Commercial Leads Consumers To Stop Buying

The comment refers to her own Pepsi ad-related scandal in 1989. She had signed a whopping $5 million endorsement deal in January 1989 with the soda company. In return, Madonna had to appear in a series of television commercials and Pepsi would even sponsor her upcoming concert tour, which was scheduled for around later that year.

Pepsi had released a two-minute television ad and featured Madonna's dancing and singing in it. The ad reached about 250 million viewers from across 40 countries; it was the first time a TV commercial had been given a special around-the-world satellite premiere. However, the success remained short-lived as it was revoked in April 1989 after it generated controversy when Madonna premiered the full-length music video for "Like a Prayer" on MTV a day after the ad was released. The video included graphic visuals such as burning crosses and seduction of a saint that drew massive criticism from religious groups and customers, who assumed it was part of the Pepsi ad, the Eighties Club had reported.

Jenner's Pepsi ad has drawn criticism from a variety of people from Lena Dunham to Martin Luther King Jr.’s daughter, according to reports.

In response to the backlash, Pepsi defended the ad in a statement: “This is a global ad that reflects people from different walks of life coming together in a spirit of harmony, and we think that’s an important message to convey.”