818 Tequila and Kendall Jenner launch Nothing Extra, its biggest campaign, revealing that only the three-ingredient tequila is naked

818 Tequila has launched Nothing Extra, which the brand describes as its largest campaign to date, and it opens with founder Kendall Jenner wandering through a lush garden, seemingly naked. The reveal is that she is fully dressed in an off-the-shoulder dress, because the only thing naked in the film is the tequila, which 818 says is made with just three ingredients and no additives.

818 Tequila's Nothing Extra film with Kendall Jenner promotes a recipe of 100% Agave Azul, water and yeast

The film was shot at Flamingo Estate in Los Angeles on a set the brand describes as inspired by the Garden of Eden, created by the agency Nice + Frank, produced by OBB Bolded and directed by Max Bartick. The brand sums up the premise by saying the campaign "teases a reveal, but the only thing naked is the tequila", and the payoff makes clear that the stripped-down subject is the drink, which 818 says contains 100% Agave Azul, water and yeast with no added sweeteners, flavours, colouring or artificial ingredients.

Kathleen Braine, chief marketing officer of 818 Tequila, said that "Our 'Nothing Extra' campaign shows consumers there's nothing extra in 818," adding that "The tequila is practically naked; all we added was the bottle." Jenner said that "With this campaign, we wanted to do something unexpected that would make people look twice", and the integrated campaign is running across social media, YouTube, connected TV, out of home advertising and targeted shopper media, along with delivery and commerce platforms linked to retail availability.

The claim is backed by a Nothing Extra hub on the 818 website, which publishes a third-party laboratory report dated 14th October 2026 for batches of Blanco and Reposado. The report found no sweeteners, sugars, vanillin or glycerol, although it did record a trace of propylene glycol, which the brand addresses by stating that none is added during production, and the same page explains that the current formula began rolling out in the US in 2025, after the brand previously used minimal abocantes within official tequila rules for colour and mouthfeel.

818 Tequila launched in 2021 and reported 77% US volume growth after its 2026 partnership with Sazerac

The conversation around additive-free tequila has been growing, particularly as consumers become more interested in what actually goes into their drinks. Under the category's regulations, producers are permitted to use small amounts of approved additives, known as abocantes, meaning two bottles labelled as 100% agave can still be produced in quite different ways. By publishing laboratory results and openly acknowledging that its own recipe changed in 2025, 818 is addressing a potentially uncomfortable question about its ingredients while giving consumers something more substantial to talk about than its famous founder.

Kendall Jenner's celebrity status has undoubtedly played a significant role in building 818's profile since she first revealed the brand in February 2021. The tequila sold out online during its initial California launch and, according to the brand's figures, became the best-selling new tequila in the US that year, with more than 136,000 cases shipped. Its marketing has continued to lean into Jenner's influence and social media culture, including its August 2025 Free the Nip campaign, which turned its miniature bottles into fashion accessories. However, 818 has also been expanding beyond its celebrity associations, particularly following Sazerac's strategic investment and distribution partnership in April 2026. According to NielsenIQ figures cited by the brand, its US volume sales grew 77% year on year in the four weeks to 3 October, compared with 6% growth across tequila products priced at $24 and above.

The creative direction of Nothing Extra also reflects the brand's fashion connections, with the film directed by Max Bartick, an Emmy-nominated former director at American Vogue who has previously worked with Chanel, Gucci and Dior. His signature style of "elegance, with a wink" feels particularly appropriate for a campaign that borrows the polished aesthetic of luxury fashion advertising to make a point about tequila ingredients. Alongside promoting its Blanco, Reposado, Añejo and Eight Reserve expressions, the campaign forms part of 818's wider effort to establish itself as a serious tequila brand rather than simply another celebrity business venture.

Jenner has also continued to build her presence in advertising this year, becoming a global ambassador for Korean skincare brand Anua in June and calming drinks brand TRIP in September. She's no stranger to playing with her public image either, having recently portrayed different versions of herself in a Beats campaign promoting customisable headphones.

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