Sometimes social media tends to get a little political, slightly controversial and more frustrating than you’d like. When I’m sitting on my couch watching Netflix, simultaneously staring into my phone, I want to see something that will make me laugh. Without fail, the @FuckJerry Instagram account delivers. The account has amassed nearly 14 million followers on Instagram alone and if you aren’t following it, you’re missing out on a ton of laughs. Elliot Tebele is the founding funny man behind the account and has taken the brand’s sense of humor and turned it into a thriving media enterprise. First, Elliot co-created the game What Do You Meme? and successfully transferred his digital fame into human interactions. With a poignant voice and some serious branding, the FuckJerry name is synonymous with laughter, which is exactly why Elliot has recently launched a tequila brand called JAJA Tequila, translated to “HaHa” in English.
Alongside his childhood friend Martin Hoffstein and brother Maurice Tebele, the trio set out to create a product that would encourage laughter, happiness and of course, the celebration of premium tequila. “We have always loved Tequila, and there is nothing more satisfying than to be enjoying something that we created with the inspiration of our friends and family. We also felt that Tequila is the spirit which the millennial generation is adopting,” Elliot says of the trio’s vision for the product.
Made in Jalisco, Mexico, the triple-distilled, gluten-free spirit is made of 100% Pure Blue Weber Agave and features an unpretentious package design that feels purposefully inclusive while catering to the millennial demographic. “From a visual perspective, JAJA is innovating the Tequila space. If you place these bottles onto a bar, they look like pure art. Our goal was to create a brand which doesn’t try to look super luxe and ornamental, but maintains an inclusive appeal- something that screams, try me!,” Maurice says of the tequila’s packaging. The importance of the light-hearted design may have existed in a creative and aesthetic-driven bubble but the thought carries over to the production of JAJA as well. As a sustainable product, the trio had to pay close attention to where they sourced their ingredients from the juice to the glass bottles. “We wanted to be thoughtful of our environmental and social impact,” Hoffstein says. Maurice adds that as a team, they all made it a priority to incorporate sustainable practices into the production of JAJA. In addition, the team has included a charitable component into the brand. “Our donations will fund healthy working conditions for tequila-making employees, as well as preserving the eco-chain of the Agave plant,” Maurice explains. “At the end of the day, without good Agave, and without happy employees, no one is drinking tequila.”
Maurice Tebele, Elliot Tebele and Martin Hoffstein
With happiness threaded throughout JAJA Tequila, from the bottle’s label (and name) to the very last drop, it’s clear that the brand is built on laughter. Even the brand strategist, Elliot confirms that this continuity was not a coincidence. “We believe JAJA will bring a lot of smiles to those who try it — our brand ethos is Smile, Laugh, and Celebrate, and we’re meant to bring people together and make everyone feel inclusive,” he says. “We are all about smiling, celebrating and laughing, and continue to message that to our audience in a way unlike any other spirit in the market.”
JAJA Tequila has launched a Blanco and Reposado tequila, both of which are available at select retailers nationwide and online at Drizly.com. Pour out a few glasses of JAJA and savor the many laughs that will follow.
