A bold and controversial stylistic choice
“It’s going to be a huge show.” With these words, Bad Bunny predicted, during an interview, the success of his performance during the 2026 Super Bowl Halftime Show. The Puerto Rican singer delivered on his promise with a 12-minute media sensation (spiced with a few geopolitical nods), dressed in a custom-made white Zara suit. It was a notable shift in style, especially considering the Schiaparelli ensemble the singer wore at the 2026 Grammy Awards just a week earlier. This stylistic choice—favoring the flagship brand of the Inditex group—surprised many (though not without a few inconsistencies, such as the Audemars Piguet watch that completed the outfit) and divided the audience, but it certainly succeeded in getting people talking.
A Strategy with Exponential Media Impact
The reason this choice sparked such a strong reaction is that the Super Bowl ranks among the most significant investments a brand can make—both economically and, above all, in terms of visibility and reputation. The returns can be exponential, as confirmed by Alison Bringé, CMO of Launchmetrics, in her latest notes. According to her, Zara’s collaboration with Bad Bunny generated nearly $20 million (approximately 17 million euros) in Media Impact Value (MIV), surpassing 97% of the brands featured in the New York Fashion Week lineup in terms of MIV. Strategic cultural alignment is a fundamental aspect of transforming a premium investment into measurable impact. Thanks to this strategy, Zara saw a 326% increase in brand impact the day after the performance.
Bad Bunny: A More Powerful Conversation Driver Than the Event Itself
According to the report’s details, this year’s Super Bowl generated $1.9 billion in MIV—a 37% increase from the previous year—earning it the title of the most impactful edition to date. It’s easy to see that Bad Bunny was the main driver: 52% of all coverage of the sporting event focused on him, marking the first time a headliner generated more conversation than the event itself. Discussions related to Bad Bunny generated $942.4 million in MIV—nearly a billion—double the value of New York Fashion Week in September, and nearly six times the impact of Rihanna’s Halftime Show.
Finally, the other brands endorsed by the Puerto Rican singer also saw an increase, with Zara generating $19.9 million in MIV, Adidas $7.7 million, and Audemars Piguet $2.3 million.