Kendall Jenner’s “Runway job” is a joke—but the ad strategy behind it is serious

kendall jenner is positioned as the punchline of a deliberate mix-up in a custom L’Oréal Paris ad tied to 20th Century Studios’ The Devil Wears Prada 2—a glossy spot set inside the fictional Runway offices and scheduled to debut during the 98th Academy Awards.

What the Kendall Jenner Runway mix-up actually shows

The spot is built to look and feel like a return to Runway: the “iconic fashion offices, ” the fast-moving workplace atmosphere, and a familiar kind of internal chaos that fans associate with the story. In the ad’s central beat, kendall jenner is mistaken for Miranda Priestly’s newest assistant while arriving at the magazine, turning a superstar cameo into a narrative device.

Simone Ashley appears as Amari, described as one of Miranda’s latest hires in the upcoming film. In one version of the scene described in the provided context, a Runway staffer offers Jenner products to make herself “presentable” before Ashley’s character intervenes—an explicit echo of the franchise’s workplace power dynamics, repackaged as a beauty moment.

Why L’Oréal Paris is anchoring the campaign to the Academy Awards

The ad is described as a custom spot debuting during the 98th Academy Awards, a placement that makes the collaboration feel like an event rather than a routine commercial drop. In the provided context, the collaboration is framed as a joint effort between Disney’s 20th Century Studios and L’Oréal Paris, with the spot designed to “pay homage” to the Runway world while centering L’Oréal Paris products.

The beauty items highlighted are specific and intentionally “must-have” coded: Colour Riche Satin Lipstick, Extensionst Mascara, and Infallible Setting Mist. The context also includes product claims and positioning: the lipstick is described as smoothing in one coat while resisting smudging and bleeding; the mascara is described as volumizing and making lashes appear “up to 5MM closer” to the brows; the setting mist is described as professional-inspired and delivering “up to 36-hour” wear with resistance to transfer, sweat, and smudging.

L’Oréal Paris brand president Laura Branik characterizes the tie-in as a way to “show up in a moment that defines beauty and pop culture, ” stressing the “scale that matches the legacy of the film, ” and framing the activation as reinforcing what L’Oréal Paris “stands for: celebrating women who set the standard, on screen and in real life. ”

What’s confirmed—and what’s being implied about the broader collaboration

Verified in the provided context: the ad stars L’Oréal Paris global ambassadors Kendall Jenner and Simone Ashley; it is connected to 20th Century Studios’ The Devil Wears Prada 2; it is set in Runway’s offices; and it is slated to air during the 98th Academy Awards. Kendall Jenner’s own statement describes spending the day at the Runway office as “so much fun, ” calling the experience of walking past the “iconic reception” a “dream, ” and highlighting the “L’Oréal Paris family. ” Ashley calls working on the film a “career highlight” and describes collaborating with the “L’Oreal Paris and Disney teams. ”

Also stated in the provided context: the collaboration is not being treated as a one-night stunt. One account describes a “series of activations” extending through the film’s release, meant to highlight the intersection between beauty and entertainment. Another account explicitly notes that Meryl Streep does not appear in the ad, while also mentioning the expectation of further activations as the film’s rollout continues.

What’s implied, not proven beyond the context: the narrative suggests a “beauty partnership” moment inside the Runway universe, with Jenner arriving for a meeting with Priestly and being mistaken for a job candidate. The misrecognition is presented as part of the ad’s humor and story logic; the context does not establish any real-world employment tie, only the fictional scenario.

One thing is unambiguous: kendall jenner is being used not just as a face for products, but as a plot engine to move viewers through the homage—turning product handoffs into story beats, and story beats into a reason to “shop the glam. ”