A massive billboard for Calvin Klein featuring Real Madrid soccer star Jude Bellingham has emerged as an unexpected landmark and traffic hazard in New York City. Located at the intersection of Houston and Lafayette Streets, the advertisement displays the England player wearing the brand's Icon Cotton Stretch Hip Briefs. Local residents report that the display is causing a significant stir, with drivers frequently honking their horns and exiting their vehicles to capture videos of the image.
The campaign has rapidly gone viral on social media platforms like TikTok, prompting fans to make pilgrimages downtown specifically to photograph the ad. While some online jokes suggest the location is in Soho, the billboard is actually situated in the Noho neighborhood. Social media users have captioned their clips with messages encouraging women to visit what they describe as the best view in New York City, noting that visitors are often more interested in seeing Bellingham than shopping for designer bags or matcha.
Bellingham, who scored seven goals for England during the 2026 FIFA World Cup, has previously modeled for Skims in 2024. The current Calvin Klein campaign was photographed by Oliver Hadlee Pearch in Madrid last August. This latest installation follows a history of notable campaigns for the brand on this specific billboard, including a 2020 ad featuring Jari Jones, the first Black trans model to appear there, and a 2015 advertisement showcasing Reid Rohling and Ethan James Green, the first gay couple featured on the display.
Sources: Page Six.