Zara's Super Bowl tie-up with Bad Bunny was a smart move

It could support the brand’ pivot towards the US luxury market

- ANDREA FELSTED

Bad Bunny chose Zara for his Super Bowl halftime performance.

(REUTERS)

Forget Kendrick Lamar’s Celine jeans or Rihanna’s red Alaia coat. There was a new fashion sensation at Super Bowl LX, and it wasn’t one of the usual luxury suspects. Bad Bunny chose Inditex’s flagship brand Zara for his much-anticipated halftime performance.

The custom, head-to-toe cream look worn by the Puerto Rican star is evidence that the world’s biggest apparel retailer is succeeding in two of its most important goals: stretching Zara upmarket and raising its profile in the US, where the brand still punches below its potential weight. The collaboration isn’t without its risks for the retailer—but they're well worth taking.

Big luxury is drawing ever closer to sport, led by LVMH Moet Hennessy Louis Vuitton, which dominated the 2024 Paris Olympic and Paralympic Games and months later struck a $1 billion deal to sponsor Formula-I motor racing. That trend makes it even more of a coup for Inditex that Bad Bunny chose it—an accessible name—rather than one of the mega brands, such as Louis Vuitton or Prada, which he wore for the 2025 Met Gala. (The artist didn’t abandon luxury all together; he wore a Royal Oak timepiece, the most iconic model from privately held watchmaker Audemars Piguet.)