4th Gen K-Pop Group Faces Criticism Over Brand Endorsement

Fans are urging a boycott.

4th Gen K-Pop group and Peak Time winner VANNER‘s latest brand endorsement has been met with clashing reactions.

VANNER
VANNER | @VannerOfficial/X

VANNER and Pepsi Korea recently shared a post announcing that the group is part of the 2024 PEPSI FESTA : THE NEW ERA lineup. Fellow performing acts include IVE, CRAVITY, BOYNEXTDOOR, and many more.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Pepsi Korea (@pepsi.korea)

Fans were happy for VANNER, as it will give them more exposure. Pepsi is also a worldwide-known brand.

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Yet, most of the comments expressed disappointment. Many said they couldn’t support it because they were boycotting Pepsi.

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Since October, the death toll in the Gaza Strip has reportedly surpassed 38K due to Israeli attacks. Over 80K Palestinians have been injured, starved, displaced, etc.

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People are calling for a ceasefire and attempting to help Palestinians as best they can. A common way to show one’s support for Palestine is joining the nonviolent Palestinian-led movement BDS (Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions).

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At first glance, Pepsi is not included in the official BDS boycott list. Yet, PepsiCo, the parent company of Pepsi and many other products, is highly encouraged to boycott. PepsiCo actually owns SodaStream, which is in the consumer boycott targets. This brand is known for producing machines that add carbonation to drinks, allowing consumers to make their own sodas at home. While SodaStream was founded in England, it is currently Israeli-headquartered.

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| BDS

Additionally, PepsiCo owns 50% of hummus brand Sabra. Both it and SodaStream profit from the Israeli occupation of Palestine, so pro-Palestine allies boycott these companies.

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| No Thanks app

Israel is considered an “apartheid state” due to its illegal occupation and administration of Palestine. According to Wikipedia, “Zionism is a nationalist movement that emerged in Europe in the late 19th century as a colonial project in pursuit of the establishment of a homeland for the Jewish people, ideally in Palestine, a region roughly corresponding to the Land of Israel in Jewish tradition.”

Israel’s policies and actions in its ongoing occupation and administration of the Palestinian territories have drawn accusations that it is committing the crime of apartheid. Leading Palestinian, Israeli and international human rights groups have said that the totality and severity of the human rights violations against the Palestinians residing in the occupied territories, and by some in Israel proper, amount to the crime against humanity of apartheid. Israel and some of its Western allies have rejected the accusation, with the former often labeling the charge antisemitic.

— Wikipedia

On the other hand, VANNER has been endorsing Pepsi for a while. The members promoted the soda in May 2023.

VANNER was also part of the lineup of 2023 PEPSI FESTA. 

So, it’s likely that VANNER signed a contract with Pepsi long before a boycott was known worldwide, as it wasn’t until October 2023 that many became informed of the issue.

Some IVE fans are also boycotting their latest release due to Pepsi. Read more below.

Fans Plan A Boycott Of IVE’s Upcoming Release

Source: BDS

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