Bad Bunny’s Super Bowl Halftime Sold the World on Puerto Rico

For 15 minutes on Sunday, more than 130 million people were on the edge of their seats, watching Bad Bunny transform the Super Bowl 60 Halftime Show into the biggest party of the year, all while speaking and singing entirely in Spanish.

The Puerto Rican artist filled Levi’s Stadium in San Francisco, California with visual and sonic references of his homeland, from images of sugarcane fields, a cornerstone in Puerto Rico’s economy until the 20th century, to a real wedding that portrayed a variety of moments traditional of a Latin celebration.

Contrary to expectations, the artist refrained from overtly promoting specific brands, instead focusing on elevating Puerto Rican culture and Latino community on one of the most important stages in advertising.

Wearing a collared shirt and tie carrying the No. 64 designed by the Spanish brand Zara and launching a new custom sneaker with Adidas, the BadBo 1.0 in white, the artist did make some subtle nods to brand partners in his performance. 

But more than anything, his halftime show sold millions of viewers on Puerto Rico itself, defining its history, creativity, and identity in a way that emotionally connected with a global audience.  

Voy a llevarte pa’ PR

Bad Bunny anchored his performance with reggaetón hits like “Yo Perreo Sola,” “Safaera,” and “Voy a Llevarte pa PR” in his iconic casita, where Latin artists including Cardi B, Jessica Alba, Pedro Pascal, Karol G, and others joined the celebration.

To the Afro-Caribbean rhythms of “Titi Me Preguntó,” he launched a visual journey celebrating numerous moments of daily Caribbean life, from street food vendors to domino games and women getting their nails done at the salon.

“You’re listening to music from Puerto Rico,” he said in Spanish while standing in the casita, a set piece reflecting rural life on the island, which has become a centerpiece of his latest tour, transitioning into a section that paid tribute to key songs that helped elevate reggaetón to a mainstream musical genre.

The economic impact of Puerto Rican culture had already manifested from his concert residency on the island, generating an estimated $400 million for the country. But with this celebration of his homeland experienced by millions, Bad Bunny’s halftime show was a lesson in cultural storytelling marketers can learn from.

Despite the party, his portrayal of Puerto Rico didn’t shy away from the island’s challenges, like the energy crisis caused by decades of underinvestment in the power grid and the imposition of Americanization, both recurring themes in his work. His performance addressed these issues directly, as he performed from light poles while singing “El Apagón,” and as Ricky Martin, one of the first Puerto Ricans to break into the Anglo market, performed “Lo que le pasó a Hawáii,” a song that critiques the island’s colonial status.

In this way, the halftime show reimagined Puerto Rico as the author of its own story: a place shaped by colonial violence and resource extraction, but driven by an uncompromising cultural lineage that continues to influence the world beyond the island’s coastline.

From PR to the globe 

In an unexpected moment, Lady Gaga took center stage amid a real wedding, performing a salsa-infused version of “Die with a Smile,” before joining Bad Bunny to dance to the hit “Baile Inolvidable.” Wearing an ensemble in the light blue associated with Puerto Rican independence and a red flor de maga, the island’s national flower, the artist’s appearance bridged Puerto Rican and American culture and stood as an allegory for Bad Bunny’s transcendence on the global stage. 

Acknowledging New York City as the original epicenter of salsa, the artist performed “NuevaYol” while dancers moved through bodegas, barber shops, and everyday community scenes, including a representation of “Toñitas,” one of the few remaining Puerto Rican Social Clubs in the city — spaces that have been fundamental to the identity of many Latino immigrants in the United States.

This scenery follows Bad Bunny’s appearance in the Grammys last week when he declared “ICE out.” That political message continued as he handed his Grammy for Album of the Year to a child watching the historic moment with their family on television.

To the rhythms of plena, accompanied by the local group Pleneros de la Cresta, Bad Bunny closed the show with a parade of flags representing every country in the Americas, calling out each nation by name. 

The imagery woven throughout his performance bring together cultural affirmation for Puerto Ricans while serving as a point of recognition for broader Latin American audiences and an educational entry point for viewers unfamiliar with the island’s history.

By placing Puerto Rican musical genres at the center of the narrative, Bad Bunny demonstrated these rhythms as exportable cultural assets. When he said “We’re still here” in Spanish, he affirmed the continent’s cultural and linguistic diversity on a national stage. 

Nonetheless, the world’s most-watched entertainment stage also became a showcase for Puerto Rico, using every element to project the island as a recognizable and authentic identity to millions of viewers.