Kendall Jenner’s tequila brand 818 Tequila is facing a lawsuit from a Texas-based tequila company, claiming 818 Tequila ripped off its logo and colour scheme.
Sellers of Tequila 512 say their brand uses a “highly distinctive logo and color scheme that has been in place since 2015,” according to KXAN, an NBC-affiliated television station in Austin, Texas. The suit from Tequila 512, which was filed on Wednesday in California, also points out how similar the names of both companies are — 512 being an area code in Austin, Texas while 818 is in reference to an area code in Los Angeles.
In a statement to The Independent, a spokesperson for 818 Tequila said there is no merit to the claims in the lawsuit. “818 does not believe there is any merit to these claims,” they said. “We cannot otherwise comment on the matter.”
The 25-year-old model launched 818 Tequila in May 2021, but Jenner faced backlash for the tequila brand even before its release. The Keeping Up With the Kardashians star was accused of cultural appropriation and “exploiting Mexican culture” by profiting off an agricultural industry that is integral to the Mexican economy. A press campaign associated with the launch of 818 Tequila faced additional criticism when it featured Jenner posing in an agave field in Mexico, dressed in jeans, braids, and an oversized shirt with a cowboy hat hanging from her neck as she led a horse.
Tequila is an agave-based distilled spirit and is produced in only five states in Mexico — Jalisco, Tamaulipas, Nayarit, Michoacán and Guanajuato. According to Jenner, 818 comes from Jalisco.
After sparking accusations of cultural appropriation, Jenner announced an initiative to give back to the community of Jalisco by donating sustainable bricks made from agave waste, agave fibres, and water waste.
The lawsuit against 818 Tequila is asking the court to issue an order to stop the brand from using 512 Tequila’s alleged infringing marks on its products, packaging, website, and in its marketing.
