After her famous sister Kim tweeted that Kendall Jenner had been “banned from Uber,” the supermodel turned lemons into lemonade, scoring free rides for a year from Uber’s main rival Lyft. Because clearly, a 20-year-old worth $10 million is in need of free transportation.
As it turns out, Jenner was not, in fact, banned from Uber. Instead, a company spokesperson told Entertainment Tonight, “It was a minor account issue that is being resolved. While it is being resolved her account was put on hold. Uber support has reached out.”
But it may just be too little too late, as the model (and “model passenger”), already seems to have switched allegiances, posting a Snapchat expressing her gratitude to Lyft for their services. Apparently everyone likes free stuff.
And the Kardashian/Jenner’s, whether they need it or not, seem to be getting a lot of it these days, particularly from California-based startups. Kim herself, for example, is currently living it up in a $25 million New York City Airbnb — and she’s living it up rent-free. Little sister Kendall has also reaped the benefits of celebrity from the vacation rental company, spending her Fourth of July weekend in a $30 million Malibu mansion.
So what do companies like Lyft and Airbnb get in return for all these giveaways? The social media clout of the famous family, of course. Kendall Jenner has more than 90 million followers across Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook, and Kim Kardashian seemed to know social media was cool before any of us did. And while this famous family is known for their endorsements, it always seems a little more convincing when a post about a company feels organic (or doesn’t include an #ad hashtag). And saying thank you for a year’s worth of free rides certainly seems genuine.
