Attempt to Cap Madonna Ad Protest Fizzles for Pepsi

Pepsi-bashing season is apparently in full swing. Less than one week after Pepsi said that consumer complaints--including those from some Christian groups--convinced it to kill a commercial starring pop star Madonna, an anti-fundamentalist group on Thursday called for Pepsi to start showing the ad again.

“Pepsi is the choice of the fundamentalist generation,” said Jim Luce, executive director and co-founder of Fundamentalists Anonymous, a New York-based organization of former Christian fundamentalists. “Pepsi didn’t make a marketing decision. It simply succumbed to the intimidation of a fundamentalist group.”

As a result, Fundamentalists Anonymous said that next week it will begin a national campaign to get Pepsi to start airing the ad again. As part of that campaign, Luce said, his organization will introduce a lineup of “big time losers” to endorse Pepsi. “By the time we’re through,” said Richard Yao, co-founder of Fundamentalists Anonymous, “only losers will drink Pepsi.”

A Pepsi spokesman said that the Madonna ad was pulled because consumers were confused by it--and not because of pressure from religious groups. “If you’ve got an ad that has people confused, it’s only logical to pull it,” said Todd McKenzie, a Pepsi spokesman.

The commercial uses Madonna’s new song, “Like a Prayer,” which she also has made a video for. Although the commercial itself is not provocative, the video has some imagery that has enraged some religious groups and consumers. Pepsi officials will not say if any new Madonna ads are in the works.