For many viewers, the problem was the use of Mexican culture to promote the brand.
Not all viewers have yet forgotten the controversial Pepsi commercial featuring Kendall Jenner, which sparked public outrage four years ago as the popular model and reality TV star got herself into trouble again in the advertising arena.
This time, the advertising campaign for the newly launched brand caused dissatisfaction. tequila 818. In the photo and video materials, Kendall appears as a Mexican woman with braided braids and traditional clothes, who, against the backdrop of the picturesque landscapes of Mexico, rides a horse through the agave fields and enjoys a glass of tequila with local farmers.
However, the launch of the campaign did not go particularly smoothly. Many viewers accuse the ad of cultural appropriation, arguing that the brand uses the culture of the Mexican people to boost its own profits. While the model herself verbally expresses admiration for Mexican culture and locals, many social media users draw attention to some points in advertising.
In particular, it is emphasized that Mexicans are used in the video as decorations, and Kendall herself not only uses the motifs of the image of a Mexican woman, which she is not, in her image, such as a sombrero or a special hairstyle (some viewers even noticed that the skin tone of the model was changed to more dark), but also plays the role of a poor girl, while she herself is more than wealthy. It was this aspect of profiting from a poorer nation that caused the most outrage. At the same time, the model itself and representatives of the brand have not yet commented on the outrage that has arisen.
How the wave of negative comments will affect sales of the new brand is still unclear. However, it can be assumed that, as has happened more than once in the various activities of members of the Kardashian-Jenner family, negative advertising may well turn out to be even more profitable than positive, and the 818 tequila brand will only become even more popular due to active discussions on social networks.
