Why Kendall Jenner 818 Tequila Brand is Problematic

Why Kendall Jenner 818 Tequila Brand is Problematic

Beginning in January 2021, Kendall debuted her tequila brand, and issues started to arise moments after. Kendall announced the launch of her new business, “818” tequila, which she worked on for 3.5 years, in February 2021. But why Kendall Jenner 818 Tequila Brand is Problematic?

Since the minute it went on sale, the 818 Tequila Kendall Jenner’s brand has been under fire from skeptics.

After touring other Mexican distilleries, Kendall asserted that her brand offered a “better-tasting tequila.” She sampled dozens of products blindly and went to international tasting competitions undercover so that her identity wouldn’t influence the outcome.

So here are all the reasons Why Kendall Jenner 818 Tequila Brand is Problematic

Cultural Appropriation

Tequila is an agave distillate that is solely produced in 5 states in Mexico: Jalisco, Tamaulipas, Nayarit, Michoacán, and Guanajuato. Kendall was accused of “cultural appropriation” and negatively hurting local Mexican tequila manufacturers.

The model was charged with “exploiting Mexican culture” by profiting from the country’s vital agriculture sector.

Kendall Jenner wearing Stereotypical Braids

She was charged with “taking advantage” of the perception of the peasants she employs and assuming “peasant” attire. She “exploited” the tequila industry in Mexico simultaneously and positively boosted her sales by portraying her employees. She shared pictures of her with her staff, strolling across the meadows with her horse.

Her Tequila bottle was similar to 512

An “item” on Kim’s phone app that depicts a tequila bottle strikingly similar to the one in “512” is mentioned in the lawsuit. These avatars can use a bottle of “818” tequila, but, oddly, the bottle resembles “512” more than Kendall’s. Kendall Jenner’s 818 tequila costs around $59.99 per bottle.

Stealing other Brand Logo

The Texas-based tequila manufacturer claims that the “512” brand’s logo and color scheme are identical to those of Kendall’s Tequila. The complaint draws attention to how similar the names of the two businesses are, demonstrating that 512 company has used such traits since 2015. 

Kendall Jenner’s 818 tequila Meaning

The name has special meaning for the 25-year-old since Kendall Jenner was born and raised in the now-famous city of Calabasas, which has the area code 818. Her famous relatives and friends had already sampled the drink when they congratulated the star on its release.

Is Kendall Jenner copying Dwayne Johnson?

Others believe that the Kardashian family is the only reason for the “hate,” as many other celebrities have behaved similarly without coming under fire on social media. The Rock introduced his “Teremana” tequila brand in 2020. Like Kendall, he posed with his employees to promote his new beverage and even posted a photo of himself sipping it with lots of ice. His followers expressed their congratulations. This is one of the main reasons Kendall Jenner 818 Tequila Brand is Problematic.

Lawsuit with 512 Tequila Brand

According to Tequila 512 CEO Nick Matzorkis, the lawsuit has just been settled, and both parties have agreed to change their labels. The parties decided that each would be allowed to continue using their current names. And that both would change their brands to make it clear that they were unrelated.

Tequila on the rocks?

Kendall served Tequila in a tall glass, and she scolded harshly for being consumed on the rocks: “Tequila on the rocks? And with so many years of research, you didn’t learn how to drink Tequila properly?” The people of Mexico and their traditions were being insulted.

Best Celebrity Tequila

In terms of quality and value compared to other celebrities, “Money UK” claims that 818 is the most excellent Tequila offered by a star. The bottle costs $54 and has a 4.9 out of 5 distiller rating. I am receiving an overall rating of 80 points out of 100 for the drink from subject-matter experts.

The World Tequila Awards named it Best Reposado Tequila. The SIP Awards gave it the Innovation Award, and the Ultimate Spirits Challenge listed it among the TOP 100 Spirits.