IDF Super Bowl Ad: Viral Social Media Campaign Response

While the world was focused on the high-priced advertisements and celebrity cameos of Super Bowl LX, the Israel Defense Forces took to social media to deliver a starkly different message. Releasing what they termed their own "Super Bowl commercial," the IDF bypassed traditional television airwaves to engage directly with a global digital audience.

The IDF posted it on platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and X with the caption:“This is our Super Bowl commercial

The video is styled like a high-production stadium ad but with a raw, attitude-driven message. Set to the upbeat, rhythmic track “LA MuDANZA” by Bad Bunny, the visuals emphasize strength, resilience, pride, and unapologetic Israeli/Jewish identity. Sources describe it as “identity-forward” and “not celebrity fluff,” focusing on the reality Jews and Israelis face today rather than victimhood. It was framed as a direct, confident response to current events, projecting power and self-reliance

The video dropped amid intense discussion around Robert Kraft’s actual Super Bowl TV ad from the Blue Square Alliance Against Hate (formerly Foundation to Combat Antisemitism). Kraft spent roughly $15 million on a 30-second spot called “Sticky Note,” which aired during the game.That ad showed a Jewish high school student with a “Dirty Jew” note stuck to his backpack. A taller Black classmate covers it with a blue square (the campaign’s symbol) and says something supportive like “Do not listen to them. I know how it feels.” It ends with a call to “share the square” and stand against hate.

Many viewers (especially in pro-Israel and Jewish online spaces) criticized Kraft’s ad as outdated, clichéd, or overly focused on Jews as passive victims needing rescue from others. The IDF video was widely interpreted (and celebrated) as a contrasting message: strength and self-defense over waiting for allies.

Former Israeli spokesman Eylon Levy and others highlighted the difference, calling the IDF clip more inspiring for Jewish kids facing antisemitism.

People were impressed with it, describing as a “boss move,” empowering, and perfectly timed. It went viral quickly with comments praising its confident tone.

The video fueled online debate comparing the two approaches to fighting antisemitism, one emphasizing solidarity from outsiders, the other projecting Israeli/Jewish power and resilience.