Katy Perry Pepsi Ad Draws Haters [Video]

Katy Perry’s Pepsi ad is drawing haters among protest groups who say she’s blatantly promoting a product that isn’t healthy. Considering what the “Firework” singer had to do to get her own Vogue cover, as previously reported by The Inquisitr, being sponsored by a soft drink company certainly might turn some heads. The pop star has been notorious for sticking to a strict diet, and now she’s hawking Pepsi.

Put that way, it’s rather obvious why consumer health groups such as the Center for Science in the Public Interest, California Center for Public Health Advocacy, California Pan-Ethnic Health Network, Latino Coalition for a Healthy California, Berkeley Media Studies Group, CCFC and the California Endowment are getting upset with Katy Perry, but at the same time, she’s only doing what everybody else has done.

However, after all of the sponsorship deals Katy Perry has made so far, why it was Pepsi that set off the haters is another question altogether. After all, the soft drink corporation has sponsored other celebrities without so much as a word of protest. Singers and artists such as Beyonce, Britney Spears, and One Direction have all done it before, so why is it so wrong now that Katy Perry is getting the carbonated spotlight?

The Katy Perry Pepsi ad spawned a full-page ad in Variety where health groups are begging the singer to drop the deal. The open letter reads:

“Today soda companies are using you and other celebrities to convince young people that drinking soda is hip, sexy and rebellious. That’s certainly the case with Pepsi’s promotions in connection with your concert and forthcoming album. ‘Drink Pepsi and you can be cool like Katy Perry’ is the takeaway message for your young fans. ‘Live for now’ – and worry about the health consequences later.”

Of course if Katy Perry isn’t the one that Pepsi sells drinks through, who will be next? It seems obvious that if they’re going for rebellious and successful, Miley Cyrus would be the next target. Of course, it might be difficult to drink Pepsi on a wrecking ball…

Michael Jacobson, executive director of the consumer health groups that have such a big problem with Katy Perry’s Pepsi ad, says it’s sad that so many popular celebrities are pushing our youth to drink beverages that are bad for their health. The fact of the matter is that major marketers are going to use whatever celebrity they can get to help sell the product. The more popular the star or singer, the better the product placement will be for said product.

Perhaps they don’t remember back when The Flintstones pushed cigarettes? Some of us would say Pepsi is a definite improvement, seeing as no health risks more serious than childhood obesity have been directly linked to carbonated drinks.

Is it really that big of a problem that Katy Perry is pushing Pepsi for their ad campaign?

[image via Helga Esteb / Shutterstock.com]