Pepsi Sweden faced backlash after launching an advertising campaign linked to the Portugal-Sweden football match, which featured a voodoo doll resembling Cristiano Ronaldo being subjected to various harmful acts. The ads showed the doll tied up on train tracks, covered with needles, and having its head crushed by a can of Pepsi. The campaign received widespread criticism for being in bad taste, prompting Pepsi Sweden to issue a public apology on its Facebook account. The company expressed regret, stating, “We would never want to present sport and the spirit of competition in a bad light. We are sorry if anyone was offended, we removed them immediately. We would also like to apologize to everyone involved.” The controversy led to the creation of a Facebook page titled “Nunca mais vou beber Pepsi” (I will no longer drink Pepsi), which gained significant traction. Despite some defending the campaign as humor, many condemned it, and parodies circulated on social media. The incident didn’t impact Ronaldo’s performance on the field, as he scored all three goals in Portugal’s 3-2 victory over Sweden in the World Cup qualifier.
2014 WORLD CUP: PEPSI SWEDEN’S MEA CULPA TO CRISTIANO RONALDO
