Bad Bunny's Calvin Klein campaign broke the internet

On social media, over the past few days, like an echo in a cave, there's been an absolute invasion of the new Calvin Klein underwear campaign starring none other than Bad Bunny. The Puerto Rican artist was captured by photographer Mario Sorrenti in a 46-second video, posing with the new men's underwear model, the Icon Cotton Stretch. The mini ad didn't just go viral—it overwhelmed the internet. In less than a week, the TikTok video reached 1.8 million likes and 20.3 million views; on Instagram, the same video surpassed 30 million views. Bad Bunny himself highlighted the importance of the campaign, stating in an official release: "This has been in the works for some time now, seeing it finally come to life has been gratifying. I'm excited and grateful for the opportunity to be part of this brand’s iconic campaign, and getting to shoot it in Puerto Rico made it that much more special and genuine." According to WWD, the video's media exposure reached a value of $8.4 million in MIV (Media Impact Value) in less than 48 hours, based on estimates by Launchmetrics. It wasn't just about likes—the impact on feeds was overwhelming. A post by the popular culture X account @PopBase, featuring two static images from the campaign, generated 24 million views and 127k likes. Similarly, the original sound from the video on the Chinese video platform inspired over 12 thousand user-generated videos, capturing diverse reactions. The MIV results of Bad Bunny's campaign catapulted the artist into the top 5 most viral reactions among the brand's ambassadors: first place is held by BTS member Jungkook, who generated $13.4 million in the same timeframe; second is the 2023 campaign featuring actor and star of the cult series The Bear, Jeremy Allen White, who accumulated $12.7 million in MIV; while third place belongs to Blackpink’s Jennie, whose 2023 campaign generated $8.6 million.

Calvin Klein campaigns have historically been designed to move the masses. The first to radically change the direction of the brand was actor Mark Wahlberg (then known by his rapper pseudonym Marky Mark) in 1991: his all-American charm was juxtaposed with a brazen attitude as he provocatively grabbed his crotch. The following year, at just 17 years old, Kate Moss became the face of the brand, debuting her first women's underwear campaign—a choice still considered highly controversial today due to the supermodel’s minor age. Moss's contract continued throughout the '90s, making her the quintessential ambassador of a brand that, at the time, fully embraced her androgynous charm. Over the years, Calvin Klein has remained true to its visual identity, with unmistakable minimalistic black-and-white campaigns. Between 2016 and 2018, with the rise of social media and under the creative direction of Raf Simons, the brand launched the hashtag #mycalvins, where stars were depicted engaging in everyday activities while wearing Calvin Klein underwear. The most emblematic campaign from that period featured Justin Bieber, who became a brand ambassador in an effort to shed his "good guy" image. More recently, Calvin Klein has increasingly focused on the Asian market (like most brands today), choosing idols and actors such as Seventeen’s Mingyu, Cha Eunwoo, Jungkook, and Jennie as ambassadors. With Veronica Leoni stepping in as creative director, the clothing line has gravitated towards personalities like Nara Smith, Pierce Abernathy, and Lily Collins. Yet, despite the brand's quiet luxury DNA, the new Bad Bunny campaign has been anything but silent.