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

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-1 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.)

Zara hasn’t partnered with the musician in the past, so, at least for now, the pairing looks like a one-off. In fact, this is the first time the brand has collaborated with an artist for a performance of this scale. For the Super Bowl, it worked closely with Bad Bunny, his creative director Janthony Oliveras and his frequent styling team Storm Pablo and Marvin Douglas Linare, the company said.

Of course, there’s a clear rationale for the choice: Inditex is Spanish, headquartered in Arteixo, in the north of the country. Given that Bad Bunny was making history with the first mostly Spanish-language halftime show, Zara was a natural fit.

But for the retailer, the moment goes beyond symbolism. Inditex, chaired since 2022 by Marta Ortega, daughter of billionaire founder Amancio Ortega, has been taking Zara upmarket. This is a smart move. Luxury brands have raised prices on a basket of iconic products in France by an average of 57% since 2019, according to analysts at HSBC Holdings.

That’s created space for more affordable luxury-style brands such as France’s Sezane, Ralph Lauren and Tapestry’s Coach. Zara, with its pricier Atelier collections, collaborations with the likes of former Saint Laurent designer Stefano Pilati and fancier stores, is also making a play for this market. Sunday night was a big step in that direction. For years, Zara was best known for offering cut-price takes on designer fashion. Now, Bad Bunny has it rubbing padded shoulders with luxury names.

The Super Bowl halftime show also ensures increased American visibility at a critical moment. Although the US is Inditex’s second biggest single-nation market, CEO Oscar Garcia Maceiras has been on a three-year mission to bolster Zara’s footprint in the country. As part of this strategy, the brand has opened stores in key locations in Los Angeles, Las Vegas, Charlotte and Frisco, Texas.

At the same time, another Inditex label, quiet luxury favourite Massimo Dutti, has also re-entered the brick-and-mortar US market. Interest in Bad Bunny’s ensemble should help drive more customers to the company’s physical and online stores.

That said, fashion is often political and this year’s halftime show was no exception. Bad Bunny hasn’t shied away from speaking out against the Trump administration and its immigration policies—including using his acceptance speech at last week’s Grammy awards to rebuke the actions of Immigration and Customs Enforcement. President Donald Trump, who has repeatedly criticized the National Football League’s decision to invite Bad Bunny, attacked the performance as “an affront to the Greatness of America.”

But any blowback for the brand will likely be worth it. The performance generated $3.1 million in brand value for Zara from social-media posts, engagement and articles, according to Launchmetrics, which tracks this type of data.

Dressing celebrities for their biggest moments has certainly worked for Gap, another seller of affordable fashion. Creative Director Zac Posen’s work outfitting Da’Vine Joy Randolph and Cynthia Erivo has helped propel the once-tired retailer back into America’s cultural conversation, bolstering sales in the process.

Last year, the Celine jeans that Kendrick Lamar wore for his Super Bowl performance spurred a surge in demand for the style. If Zara can generate the same kind of buzz, its debut on the halftime stage will be a pivotal point in its development, rather than a fashion faux pas. ©Bloomberg

The author is a Bloomberg Opinion columnist covering consumer goods and the retail industry.