Mountain Dew pulls offensive ad featuring Tyler, The Creator A snippet of Tyler the Creator's advertisement for Mountain Dew that has been purged from the internet by Pepsico This goat is the latest animal ambassador for Mountain Dew. It belongs in an asylum. Tyler, The Creator, who starred in a US ad for Mountain Dew that people found offensive and was subsequently pulled by PepsiCo. PEPSICO is once again learning the risks of celebrity partnerships after an ad for Mountain Dew was criticised for portraying racial stereotypes and making light of violence toward women. The US soda and snack food company said it immediately pulled the 60-second spot after learning that people found it was offensive. The ad was part of a series developed by African-American rapper Tyler, The Creator, and depicted a battered white woman on crutches being urged to identify a suspect out of a lineup of black men. A goat character known as Felicia is included in the lineup and makes threatening comments to the woman, such as "Ya better not snitch on a playa" and "Keep ya mouth shut." The woman eventually screams "I can't do this, no no no!" and runs away. The word "do" is in apparent reference to the soft drink's "Dew It" slogan. Mountain Dew, known for its neon color and high caffeine content, is generally marketed to younger men and sometimes attempts to have edgier ads. But the controversy over its latest spot illustrates the fine line that companies must walk when trying to be hip. In fact, Mountain Dew also was criticised recently because of its endorsement deal with Lil Wayne, whose rap lyrics compared a rough sex act to the tortuous death of Emmett Till, a black teen who was murdered in 1955 for allegedly whistling at a white woman. Last month, Reebok also ended its relationship with Rick Ross after he rapped about giving a woman a drug to have his way with her. Laura Ries, president of Ries & Ries, a marketing firm based in Atlanta, said companies that want the "street cred" of a celebrity may end up losing control of the message they want to convey. If PepsiCo had created an ad for Mountain Dew, for example, she said it might not have been considered edgy or cool. But by handing over control to a celebrity, she said the company ran the risk of having an ad that wasn't appropriate. PepsiCo Inc, based in Purchase, New York, said it understood how the ad could be offensive. "We apologise for this video and take full responsibility," the company said in an updated statement. We have removed it from all Mountain Dew channels and Tyler is removing it from his channels as well. Jen Ryan, a spokeswoman for PepsiCo, said the company learned from its consumer relations team on Tuesday that people found the ad offensive. She declined to explain the approval process for the ad but said it was never meant to run on TV. A publicist for Tyler, the Creator did not immediately respond to a message seeking comment. His raps have been criticised for being misogynistic and homophobic at times but he has also expressed support for the singer Frank Ocean, who revealed he was bisexual. Mountain Dew is available in Australia through Schweppes.