Yay or Nay: Kendall Jenner as Estée Lauder’s New Face

Estée Lauder has secured itself a solid fanbase among working professionals and women in the 40+ age range, which is why their efforts in recent years to appeal to a younger crowd is just the next step in the brand’s horizontal growth. Part of their tactics have included a a beautifully photographed and curated Instagram account, but they really kicked it up a gear when they announced that Kendall Jenner was going to the the newest addition to the family.

YouTube and Facebook comments are an excellent gauge to determine the social climate, so here’s what we can conclude: a lot of people are happy that young Kendall is fronting the brand, but there are people who are also hugely upset by this decision. Most of the objections come from people who claim that that Kendall Jenner is only famous by association with a sister who is, in turn, famous for simply being famous — hardly the right credentials for someone to front an elite brand.

A commenter at the Estée Lauder Facebook announcement page even offered a list of alternatives: she claims Emma Watson, Chloe Moretz, Leighteon Meester, and Suki Waterhouse would have been better-suited to the brand’s image.

But does it matter, really? Estée Lauder are probably trying to appeal to Kendall’s 9 million and 15 million followers on Twitter and Instagram; and guess what? It’s working. Yahoo reports that the weekend after the announcement, Estée Lauder followers on Instagram increased by 50,000, but whether or not those numbers will translate to sales is another matter.

While I am surprised by the choice to cast Kendall Jenner as the brand’s newest face, I’m certainly not surprised by the reasons that are driving them to do it. But what do you think? Do you enjoy seeing her lit in that telltale soft focus, color-filtered world of Estée Lauder? Or would you gave preferred seeing another young woman spearhead the American brand’s efforts at becoming relevant among a younger target market?