Why Kendall Jenner's New Ad Campaign Is Causing A Stir

Kendall Jenner's ad campaign for her new tequila company is causing quite the buzz, and not the kind she was hoping for.

The "Keeping Up With the Kardashians" star announced the launch of her tequila brand, 818, in February 2021. The model revealed to fans on Instagram that she had worked on the brand for almost four years. "After dozens of blind taste tests, trips to our distillery, entering into world tasting competitions anonymously and WINNING (🥳), 3.5 years later I think we've done it! This is all we've been drinking for the last year and I can't wait for everyone else to get their hands on this to enjoy it as much as we do!" she wrote at the time.

WWD confirmed that prior to 818's launch announcement, the tequila brand had won several awards. But that didn't stop people from criticizing the E! star, claiming she was culturally appropriating Mexican culture. Kendall never commented on the backlash, instead pushing forward with her launch and a new ad campaign that is causing even more upheaval among fans. Keep reading for more on the latest controversy.

To celebrate the launch of 818 Tequila in California, model Kendall Jenner took to Instagram to share a few photos and videos giving fans a behind-the-scenes look at the process behind her new brand. The company also shared the new campaign video, which featured Kendall with agave farmers in Jalisco, Mexico, wearing an outfit that some are calling cultural appropriation (per BuzzFeed). TMZ reports that the model had intended on focusing the ad campaign on the farmers who make the product, but that's not what came across.

"YOU'VE GOT TO BE KIDDING ME," tweeted one fan. "Leave it to Kendall to be as tone deaf as possible, this is so offensive. Modeling that chic migrant worker look for her tequila brand, watch her cry and say she didn't know later on for the 100th time." Another compared the ad to the model's Pepsi commercial from 2007, which caused an outcry for minimizing the Black Lives Matter movement. "Remember Kendall cried after the backlash from the Pepsi commercial if there was no backlash she wouldn't have cared this is just disgusting brown face, culture appropriation to a whole other level," wrote the user. "Not Kendall Jenner acting like she's from the rancho just bc she made her own tequila," another person tweeted.

Kendall has yet to comment on the controversy, but she has turned off the comments on her Instagram post.