• by Teresa Buyikian , Yesterday

Kendall Jenner’s 818 Tequilla is no stranger to pop-up events, but this year the brand is doubling down on college football activations targeting Gen Z.

The brand has expanded its college football marketing efforts into tailgate parties with 818, an IRL event program with Uber Eats. The most recent activation on Oct. 11 in Dallas was timed to coincide with the Red River Rivalry, the annual college football game between the University of Texas Longhorns and the University of Oklahoma Sooners. A popup with over 3,200 guests included custom cocktails, oversize beer pong, 818 merch, an Uber Eats food truck and an appearance by Jenner herself. The brand also wrapped student busses throughout the area and gave out branded coolers with cocktail supplies.

Sold on site at the pop-ups, which will continue throughout the 2025-2026 football season, is a new co-branded athleisure collection The Playbook, a collab between 818 and Set Active. Referred to as Gen Z’s new "Saturday uniform" the collection includes leggings and sweats “that fuse 818’s branding with SET's silhouettes.”

“SET has cultivated a loyal community by making everyday pieces that feel effortlessly wearable. Their focus on community aligned really well with our brand strategy, Kathleen Braine, CMO of Calabasas Beverage Company, told Marketing Daily.

“[The] ‘Saturday Uniform’ is cultural shorthand for fall game-day rituals our audience knows and loves, either related to actual sports, or just the culture surrounding them,”  Braine added. The collection features pieces designed to carry fans from early morning tailgates to workouts to post-game celebrations. Saturdays are all about connection, rituals, and shared experiences for our target audience.”

The 818xSet Active collection is also available at setactive.co.