Inside Calvin Klein's Viral Jude Bellingham Campaign

Calvin Klein has just released one of its highest-impact campaigns in recent years. 

According to Launchmetrics data, the brand’s partnership with global football star Jude Bellingham has generated US$35.8 million in Media Impact Value (MIV) in just 48 hours.

The number is based on factors like exposure and media coverage to calculate a return on investment – with one campaign video posted to the Calvin Klein TikTok account garnering around 14 million views and 2.7 million likes, as of November 10. 

Massive online buzz and engagement with the campaign also coincided with a 4.46% rise in PVH Corp – the parent company of Calvin Klein – following the campaign’s release. 

“Our recent campaign with Jude Bellingham is a great example of how to successfully engage new audiences and how to act on consumer signals to drive the business – bringing earned and paid media together,” says Jonathan Bottomley, Chief Marketing Officer of Calvin Klein. 

‘The Icon Underneath’

The campaign was shot in August 2026, shortly after the close of the FIFA World Cup 2026, by Oliver Hadlee Pearch. 

With natural, pared-back imagery, the campaign hinges on the idea of ‘The Icon Underneath’ – “that confidence starts with feeling comfortable in yourself,” explains Jude Bellingham in a press statement. 

“Calvin Klein is such an iconic brand, so it was great to bring that idea to life in my own way,” he continued. 

The choice of Jude Bellingham for this campaign follows a huge year for the football star. 

During the FIFA World Cup 2026 period, his Instagram following rose close to 15%, reaching more than six million new followers by the end of the tournament, while searches for Jude Bellingham increased 250% compared to 2025. 

This partnership with Calvin Klein also sits as part of a wider portfolio of brand partnerships for the star – including Louis Vuitton, SKIMS and Adidas. 

Virality and engagement

In recent years, Calvin Klein has boasted a roster of brand ambassadors that include Tate McRae, Bad Bunny, Jeremy Allen White and Dakota Johnson. 

With these partnerships, the brand has been focusing on driving increased levels of consumer engagement to support commercial growth under Jonathan, who was named Chief Marketing Officer in June 2022. 

This strategy, Jonathan has explained, has involved increasing emphasis on virality and engagement in order to drive growth and boost sales. 

“We’re constantly thinking about how do you create a sense of a story, a moment, content in the broader sense of the word that people really want to spend time with?” he shared on the Marketer's Brief podcast. “You know, as marketers, everyone has limited funds. 

“What we think about is how do we reach as many people as possible with the most impactful story, if possible, that brings our product to life.”

This includes the brand’s Spring 2026 campaign, which starred Dakota Johnson and also focused on ideas of confidence. 

“You know, she is a character in and of herself. What we try to do is create a new version of that character, a Calvinized version of the person, and to make sure they have that platform – we have that platform – to tell a really clear story,” Jonathan said of the campaign on the Marketer's Brief podcast. 

“And I think that we did that. We reached a lot of people. I think we delighted a lot of people. And I think we did it in a way that felt true and right for the product.”

Who are PVH’s Partners?

• OpenAI: OpenAI collaborates directly with PVH to modernise workflow automation. The partnership helps creative teams explore ideas freely, leverage historical data and interpret emerging fashion trends – streamlining administrative tasks and improving strategic decision-making.
• Amazon Web Services (AWS): The AWS and PVH partnership is a strategic cloud and AI collaboration focused on modernising the global supply chain and driving end-to-end transparency. 
• Macy's: As one of PVH’s primary wholesale retail customer partners, Macy’s represents a vital commercial distribution channel across North America. Physical department stores and online platforms generate massive sales volumes for flagship labels, including Calvin Klein apparel and Tommy Hilfiger menswear.
• Salesforce: Driving digital customer engagement across multiple international markets, Salesforce provides critical customer relationship management solutions for PVH. Using Salesforce Marketing Cloud and Commerce Cloud infrastructure, the company delivers tailored shopping experiences across digital storefronts.