Frank Sinatra and Kendall Jenner: Why Their Names Are Linked
Frank Sinatra died in 1998. Kendall Jenner was born in 1995. Yet type one name into a search bar and the other often follows.
Here’s the short answer. Frank Sinatra and Kendall Jenner are linked by a single 2017 adidas Originals film. The ad used a remix of Sinatra’s “My Way,” and Kendall starred in it.
That’s the whole documented connection. No friendship, no family tie, no duet.
The more interesting question is why this pairing refuses to fade.
Below, you’ll see what happened in the ad, why it worked, and how music licensing quietly creates celebrity “connections” that don’t exist.
Quick Answer: What Connects Frank Sinatra and Kendall Jenner?
Frank Sinatra and Kendall Jenner are connected through adidas Originals’ “Original Is Never Finished” campaign.
Chapter 3 launched on August 10, 2017, with a remix of Sinatra’s 1969 recording of “My Way” as its soundtrack. Kendall appeared on screen.
They never met, aren’t related, and never recorded together.
Key facts:
- The ad: adidas Originals, “Original Is Never Finished,” Chapter 3
- Release: August 10, 2017
- The song: A remix of Sinatra’s “My Way”
- Kendall’s role: On-screen star, not the singer
- Personal link: None documented
Why People Search “Frank Sinatra and Kendall Jenner”
Most people don’t search this pairing out of random curiosity. Something specific sends them here.
The Five Questions Behind the Search
When readers type these names together, they’re usually trying to answer one of these:
- Are they related? The names feel like they belong to the same celebrity world.
- Did they ever meet? Their lifetimes overlapped by about two and a half years.
- Did Kendall sing “My Way”? A famous face plus a famous song invites that guess.
- Was there a tribute or collaboration? Some assume the Sinatra estate worked with her.
- Is this about style? Kendall’s polished look often gets compared to Old Hollywood glamour.
How Readers Usually Land Here
The path usually starts with a clip. Someone sees a few seconds of the adidas ad on TikTok, Instagram, or YouTube, with no caption explaining it.
Then there are the old headlines. Coverage from 2017 put “Sinatra” and “Jenner” in the same title, and those pages still rank.
Finally, autocomplete does the rest. Once enough people search both names, Google starts suggesting the pair to everyone else.
Quick takeaway: If you heard “My Way” playing in a clip with Kendall, you saw the 2017 adidas film.
The 2017 Adidas Ad That Started It All
Most articles mention the ad and move on. It deserves a closer look, because the creative choices explain why it stuck.
What “Original Is Never Finished” Was About
The agency Johannes Leonardo built the campaign around one idea: originality isn’t a one-time event. Someone takes an idea, remakes it, and pushes it further.
The concept clearly landed. The campaign’s launch film won the Grand Prix for Music at Cannes Lions in 2017, one of advertising’s top honors.
Kendall’s Scene and the Rest of the Cast
Chapter 3 recreated scenes from earlier films with a fresh cast. Kendall appears as a sci-fi version of Botticelli’s Birth of Venus, lying inside a futuristic pod.
She shared the film with basketball star James Harden and rappers Playboi Carti, 21 Savage, and Young Thug. Other scenes riffed on Da Vinci’s Vitruvian Man.
Terence Neale directed it, and the US cut runs about 90 seconds. Renaissance art, streetwear, and a 1969 ballad, all in a minute and a half.
Why Adidas Chose Kendall
Kendall announced her adidas Originals deal on Instagram on May 31, 2017. The “My Way” film became her first big moment with the brand.
The timing mattered. Just months earlier, in April 2017, Pepsi pulled her protest-themed commercial after a wave of backlash.
Agency co-founder Leo Premutico said the team wanted to celebrate her courage under that media pressure. Not everyone bought it. Critics asked why a sports brand put a model, not an athlete, front and center.
That debate is part of why people still remember the ad, and still search for it.
Why “My Way” Was the Perfect Soundtrack
“My Way” didn’t start as a Sinatra song. It began as the French tune “Comme d’habitude,” and Paul Anka wrote new English lyrics for it.
Sinatra recorded his version on December 30, 1968, and released it in 1969. It became one of his signature songs.
The lyrics are about looking back on a life lived on your own terms. For a brand selling individuality, that message is hard to beat.
The remix solved a second problem. Younger viewers heard something fresh, while older ones still caught the familiar melody underneath.
Kendall echoed the theme herself. Asked what “her way” meant, she said, “I’m just living my life and having fun.”
How Music Licensing Creates “Connections” That Don’t Exist
This is the part most pages skip, and it explains the entire search trend.
Song Use Is Not Personal Involvement
Brands license recordings through whoever holds the rights. That’s often a label, a publisher, or an estate, sometimes decades after the artist has died.
The artist doesn’t need to approve the cast, meet the star, or even know the ad exists. Sinatra had been gone almost 20 years when adidas used “My Way.”
The Beatles show how far this can go. In 1987, Nike used the original Beatles recording of “Revolution” in a sneaker ad. The surviving band members objected publicly and sued, because they hadn’t signed off on it.
So a song in an ad tells you who licensed it. It doesn’t tell you who’s friends with whom.
How Headlines and Search Engines Fuse Names
Next comes the coverage. A writer summarizing the ad naturally types “Sinatra” and “Jenner” in the same sentence.
Search engines notice names that keep appearing together. Over time, they start treating them as related.
Then autocomplete suggests the pairing to new users. Those users click, which tells the algorithm the pairing is popular. The loop feeds itself.
Other Examples of the Same Effect
Nick Drake is a classic case. The folk singer died in 1974, almost unknown. In 2000, Volkswagen used his song “Pink Moon” in a Cabrio commercial, and his album sales jumped far beyond anything he saw in his lifetime.
Plenty of viewers suddenly searched his name next to Volkswagen. Drake had no say in that pairing, just like Sinatra had none in his link to Kendall.
Practical tip: When a brand uses a song, the singer isn’t automatically involved. Look for credits, not headlines.
Did Frank Sinatra and Kendall Jenner Ever Meet or Work Together?
Let’s clear up the biggest doubts in one place.
Did they meet? There’s no record of it. Kendall was two years old when Sinatra died on May 14, 1998.
Are they related? No. Sinatra came from an Italian American family in Hoboken, New Jersey. Kendall belongs to the Kardashian-Jenner family of Los Angeles.
Did they record together? No. There’s no duet and no Kendall Jenner cover of “My Way.” She appears on screen only.
Any link beyond the ad? One small detail. In a 2016 magazine holiday feature, Kendall listed Sinatra among the artists on her Christmas playlist. That shows she enjoys his music, nothing more.
Fact Check: Verified, Unverified, and False Claims
A lot of pages blur facts and guesses. Here’s where each common claim actually stands.
| Claim | Status | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Kendall starred in a 2017 adidas film using “My Way” | Verified | Chapter 3 of “Original Is Never Finished” |
| The soundtrack was a remix of Sinatra’s recording | Verified | Reworked for the ad |
| The ad drew criticism tied to the Pepsi controversy | Verified | Plus questions about casting a model over athletes |
| Kendall named Sinatra on a holiday playlist | Verified | A 2016 magazine feature |
| They met in person | No evidence | She was a toddler when he died |
| Sinatra’s estate partnered with Kendall | Unverified | No source describes this |
| They are related | False | Separate, documented family histories |
| Kendall sang “My Way” or recorded a duet | False | The vocals come from Sinatra’s recording |
Old Hollywood Fame vs. Influencer-Era Fame
Beyond the facts, this pairing tells a bigger story about how fame has changed.
How Sinatra Built Fame
Sinatra rose through radio, big bands, records, and film. He won an Oscar for From Here to Eternity in 1953 and ruled Las Vegas stages with the Rat Pack.
Studios and labels shaped his public image. Fans met him through a record player, a movie screen, or a newspaper.
How Kendall Built Fame
Kendall was 11 when Keeping Up with the Kardashians premiered in 2007. She grew up on camera, then moved into runway work and global campaigns.
Social media let her speak directly to millions without a studio in between. Later, she launched her own brand, 818 Tequila, in 2021.
What the Ad Merged
| Frank Sinatra | Kendall Jenner | |
|---|---|---|
| Peak era | 1940s–1970s | 2010s–today |
| Main media | Radio, records, film, live shows | Reality TV, runway, social media |
| Image control | Studios and labels | Largely self-directed |
| What he or she brought to the ad | Nostalgia and cultural weight | Reach and visual relevance |
adidas borrowed from both eras at once. Sinatra’s voice gave the film depth, and Kendall’s face gave it scroll-stopping power.
Frank Sinatra and Kendall Jenner Timeline
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| December 12, 1915 | Frank Sinatra is born in Hoboken, New Jersey |
| December 30, 1968 | Sinatra records “My Way” |
| 1969 | “My Way” is released |
| November 3, 1995 | Kendall Jenner is born in Los Angeles |
| May 14, 1998 | Sinatra dies in Los Angeles at age 82 |
| May 31, 2017 | Kendall announces her adidas Originals deal |
| August 10, 2017 | Chapter 3 launches with the “My Way” remix |
Frequently Asked Questions
Are Frank Sinatra and Kendall Jenner related?
No. Their families have separate, well-documented histories with no known tie.
Did Kendall Jenner sing “My Way”?
No. The ad used a remix of Sinatra’s own recording, and Kendall appeared on screen.
What adidas ad featured Kendall Jenner and “My Way”?
Chapter 3 of adidas Originals’ “Original Is Never Finished,” released on August 10, 2017.
Who else was in the adidas “My Way” commercial?
James Harden, Playboi Carti, 21 Savage, and Young Thug.
How old was Kendall when Frank Sinatra died?
She was two. Sinatra died in May 1998, and Kendall was born in November 1995.
Who wrote “My Way”?
Paul Anka wrote the English lyrics, adapting the French song “Comme d’habitude.”
Why do their names keep appearing together?
The ad, old headlines, and autocomplete keep the pairing alive in search results.
Final Takeaway
One ad. One remix. No personal tie.
That’s the real story behind Frank Sinatra and Kendall Jenner. Their names travel together because a brand licensed a classic song, headlines repeated both names, and search engines did the rest.
Next time two famous names show up side by side, check the dates and the credits first. They’ll usually tell you more than the headline does.
