Kim Kardashian jokes she didn't pass the bar — she raised it

Kim Kardashian is not announcing a bar exam pass. In a playful UPDATE energy drink ad released Thursday, July 23, the reality star joked about her legal journey after a Gloria Allred cameo, delivering the punchline: “No, I didn’t pass the bar. I raised it.”

Key Takeaways

• Kim Kardashian’s first major UPDATE campaign is a satirical mock press conference ad released July 23.
• Attorney Gloria Allred cameos and asks if Kardashian ever passed the bar before the viral punchline.
• UPDATE, which Kardashian co-founded, is powered by paraxanthine and sold online plus at thousands of Walmart stores.
• Kardashian told People the team wanted humor, Easter eggs, and “a bit of a wink.”

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What did Kim Kardashian say about the bar exam?

In the spot’s closing beat, Allred looks toward Kardashian and asks, “Did she even ever pass the bar?” Kardashian fires back without missing a beat: “No, I didn’t pass the bar. I raised it.”

The line lands as a self-aware clapback at years of public chatter about her path toward becoming a lawyer. It also became the campaign’s defining sound bite across social media.

What happens in the new UPDATE ad?

The commercial opens with Kardashian at a podium, fielding reporter-style questions about how she gets so much done. “Honestly, my energy is just different,” she says after riffing on fans asking whether her workload—and her look—is “really real.”

Asked for her secret, she replies, “No secret, just an update,” then plugs UPDATE as “formulated by a team of leading experts, none of whom are me.” Quips continue when asked “why you?” (“I wasn’t aware that there was an alternative”) and “why now?” (“Caffeine just wasn’t working. Working is my thing.”)

The video then shifts to a museum-style glass case, with Kardashian on display as onlookers watch her grind through tasks. Allred’s cameo seals the joke before the bar punchline.

Why does this Kim Kardashian campaign matter?

Beyond the memeable one-liner, the ad marks a national push for UPDATE, the canned energy drink Kardashian co-founded after discovering the brand as a consumer in 2023. Per Hypebeast, she helped reshape packaging, identity, and strategy while the drink rolled out online and at more than 4,000 Walmart locations.

Unlike typical caffeine-heavy cans, UPDATE uses paraxanthine—the primary metabolite the body converts caffeine into—aiming for smoother focus without the jitters or crash. Kardashian has said the drink fits how she thinks about wellness: focused, balanced, and productive.

“It’s about feeling good,” she told People. “Focused, balanced, and productive without the jitters or that crash later.” She also said the creative team loved “sprinkling in fun easter eggs, some humor, and a bit of a wink.”

In short, Kim Kardashian turned a long-running bar exam narrative into branded comedy—and used it to introduce UPDATE to a much wider audience.