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Updated : May 20, 2021

KENDALL JENNER LAUNCHES TEQUILA BRAND 818

Over the past three months, we have witnessed Kendall utilise her celebrity status to promote 818 tequila. Two YouTube videos promoting the drink – one by billionaire sister Kylie and another by best friend Hailey Bieber – have accumulated a total of 28 million views. Now, that’s a sure-fire way to get good promo.

But even with these celebrity endorsements – which could very easily come with bias – Kendall Jenner’s tequila brand is still facing backlash from the general public, her intended audience.

Criticisms of Kendall and 818 now centre on the advert, released on May 18th, 2021. Since posting the advert to Instagram, Kendall Jenner has disabled comments due to the negativity she was facing over the advert.

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HISTORY: THE IMPORTANCE OF TEQUILA IN MEXICO

Tequila is well-known by drinkers the world over, although many do not understand the importance of the drink in Mexico. Firstly, tequila is a traditional drink made from agave, a plant only found in the country, often used as a sweetener. Just like champagne, parmesan and all other regional-specific produce, tequila can only be produced in Mexico. Not only is tequila massively important for the country’s economy, but it is culturally significant; tequila is used for both celebratory and mournful occasions.

Many families – especially in Jalisco, where Kendall’s tequila is made – produce tequila for Mexican brands or their own small businesses, making it a vital part of the economy.

But with tequila’s growing popularity comes problems: notably, agave shortages. This, combined with an increase of foreign investors in the tequila market, drives up the cost of its raw materials, like agave. This risks putting local tequila distilleries out of business or makes them vulnerable to exploitation by foreign brands.

While Kendall Jenner is not the first celebrity to create a tequila brand – George Clooney, Nick Jonas and The Rock have also done so – the influx of (most-often American) celebrities into this market creates fears of significant economic and geographic damage. While gentrification is a term often used in reference to urban areas, it can also be seen in effect here: wealthier individuals displace working-class professionals for their own gain (D.J. Hammel, in International Encyclopedia of Human Geography, 2009.)