“Love the throwback stuff”: Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Super Bowl ad mimics John F. Kennedy ’60s ad

A group supporting Robert F. Kennedy Jr. ran an ad during the Super Bowl on Sunday, mimicking a 1960s spot of his uncle John F. Kennedy‘s own campaign. 

The nostalgic 30-second spot funded by the PAC, American Values 2024, paralleled the former President JFK’s presidential campaign ad. In the RFK ad, images of the third-party candidate and phrases like “A time for greatness,” “vote independent,” and “Kennedy for President 2024” flashed onto the screen with a vintage-retro 1960s aesthetic and callback to JFK’s ad. 

American Values 2024 is supporting the former Democrat and now independent candidate running for the 2024 election, in what is called a long-shot campaign. The ad cost the PAC $7 million, The Hill reported.

The ad was met with varied responses online. Former Fox News anchor Megyn Kelly posted on X, “Loved that Kennedy ad! Love the throwback stuff.”

Despite those few positive responses, Kennedy generally has been met with backlash for his candidacy. The politician, who is an anti-vaxx activist and descendant of lauded Kennedy heritage, launched his 2024 bid for a presidential campaign as a Democrat last spring. However, the candidate switched his party to Independent in October. Even members of Kennedy’s family opposed his bid for candidacy for potentially pulling votes away from President Joe Biden in the election.

“The panicked DC power brokers are working overtime to keep Kennedy off the ballot because they know he can and will end their culture of greed and corruption. They offer us soaring inflation, forever wars, and chronic disease,” co-chair of the PAC, Tony Lyons said in a statement to The Hill. 

The super PAC has been called into question by the Democratic National Committee (DNC), which filed a complaint against the PAC on Friday, claiming that Kennedy had received improper benefits from the organization. The complaint also noted that the group’s donor, Mellon, who has given $15 million, happens to also be the largest donor to Donald Trump-aligned PACs, Deadline reported.

Kennedy addressed the DNC’s claims on X, saying, “After the day they had yesterday, it’s understandable they’d want to put the focus on someone else,” he said. “The DNC is in no position to assert morality over anyone — they refused to have a primary and have worked against the will of the people in the past few elections. It’s sad to see the party my family built crash and burn.”