Bad Bunny (AKA Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio) has joined Jeremy Allen White, Justin Bieber, Idris Elba, and FKA Twigs in the Calvin Klein history books, posing in his trunks to promote the brand’s underwear. The rapper has stripped down for the U.S. designer as part of its spring 2025 campaign, shot by regular Vogue and Harper’s Bazaar photographer Mario Sorrenti.

The 30-second hero film, “Bad Bunny Is Infinite,” is set to Bad Bunny’s track “EoO.” It showcases the star posing in CK’s Icon Cotton Stretch briefs, while lightning strikes behind him.The spot debuted on social to promote the wider collection, which includes tank tops and T-shirts. More creative executions will follow online this week and the campaign will also feature in high-impact out-of-home placements globally.

“This campaign represents a blend of my music and my fashion sense,” Bad Bunny, who dropped his sixth album Debí Tirar Más Fotos in January, told GQ. “I want to inspire others to embrace their individuality and express themselves freely.”

Cutting through the noise with ‘mega-talent’

As the most-watched artist on YouTube and Spotify’s most-listened-to Latin artist worldwide, Bad Bunny doesn’t just have a huge fanbase, he also yields global influence. He’s extended this beyond music into brand partnerships, working with Adidas to launch several sneaker models in 2024. The artist is just the latest buzzy celebrity recruited by CK to drive sales.

The marketing provocateur is known for its controversial, sensual photoshoots. It first brought this style of campaign market in 1980 with a campaign starring then-15-year-old model Brooke Shields, who recited the tagline: “You want to know what comes between me and my Calvins? Nothing.”Since then, celebrities including Kate Moss, Mark Wahlberg, and Kendall Jenner have fronted similar ads. More recently, The Bear star Allen White posed in his Calvins last spring, while musician FKA Twigs fronted a 2023 underwear campaign. Both ads ignited conversation, controversy, and a discussion about double standards in acceptable marketing.

Stefan Larsson, chief executive of PVH, which owns CK and Tommy Hilfiger, said that in 2024 Calvin Klein continued to drive “strong category offers that come to life with high impact culturally relevant marketing campaigns, amplified by mega-talent,” like Allen White and Greta Lee, who starred in CK’s fall 2024 campaign. Bollywood actress Disha Patani and K-pop group New Jeans also fronted ads for the brand promoting its denim and transitional outerwear last year.

“These are campaigns that repeatedly cut through in the marketplace,” said Larsson.

PVH reported better-than-expected financials in Q3 2024. In December 2024, sales were down 5% to $2.3 billion, while CK revenues decreased 3% year-on-year.

Read the full AdWeek article HERE.