• by Teresa Buyikian , Yesterday

While 818 Tequila’s festival season may be ending, the Coachella mainstay is just revving up its engines for the rest of the year.

The brand’s third Coachella pop-up, the invite-only 818 Outpost, drew crowds of more than 1,500 influencers and other VIPs over the course of both festival weekends resulting in an enormous amount of buzz for Kendall Jenner’s tequila brand. 

Themed after a “1970s Autocamp Soirée,” the pop-up brought in some of the most popular fellow Gen Z brands for this year’s fest, such as Sprinter Vodka Soda (which is owned by Kendall’s sister Kylie Jenner), rhode beauty (launched by supermodel Hailey Bieber, the brand sold to E.L.F. earlier this month for $1 billion), Postmates, Good American (jeans brand from yet another sister Khloe Kardashian), and Uber One.

Following Coachella, which ran from April 10-19, 818 announced its first national sports partnership with NASCAR driver Toni Breidinger for the 2025 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series season. “The collaboration marks a “new chapter” for 818, as the “brand steps into the fast-growing world of motorsports and connects with a rising generation of fans, many of them women, who are helping redefine what the sport looks like today.”

Calabasas Beverage Company (parent of both 818 Tequila and Sprinter Vodka Soda) CMO Kathleen Braine talked to Marketing Daily about the success of the 818 Outpost, and what’s next for the brand with its speedy new partnership.

Marketing Daily: How did you and your team come up with the concept for this year’s Coachella activation?

KathleenBraine: The concept was rooted in our desire to evolve the festival experience into something truly immersive and design-led. We drew inspiration from (photographer) Slim Aarons and a 1970s Autocamp. The vision was brought to life in close collaboration with The h.wood Group, Bryant and Revolution Marketing over six months of development. Kendall Jenner was deeply involved in ensuring the space felt like a true reflection of 818’s brand: elevated, cultural and social.

Marketing Daily: What was it you were trying to convey to consumers via the immersive experience?

Braine: The 818 Outpost was designed to do more than just showcase 818. It was about inviting guests into our brand community and visual world. Every detail, from the cocktails to the spaces, was intentionally curated. We wanted to create a branded experience for our 818 community.

Marketing Daily: How do you judge the success/results of festival activations, as they are such a part of 818's DNA? What is considered a "win?"

Braine: A win for us is when cultural impact and business objectives intersect. For something like the 818 Outpost, we initially look at short-term KPIs like attendance from key tastemakers, media impressions, social content, and the impact on sales during the weekend.

Longer term, we look at how the event and its social content can lift brand awareness and engagement to drive repeat purchases of 818.

Marketing Daily: What's next for 818?

Braine: We're focused on continuing to drive 818 brand awareness and consumer engagement through a mix of retail programming, summer on-premises moments, and new partnerships. …One of the most exciting examples of that right now is our partnership with Toni Breidinger, 818’s first national sports partnership, which brings the brand into the world of NASCAR and introduces us to a new, passionate fanbase in a new and unexpected way.