A 1960 Kennedy Campaign Ad Is Rebooted for R.F.K. Jr.

Yes, that catchy jingle you heard from your television just before halftime at the Super Bowl was an ad supporting a Kennedy running for president, and it looked and sounded almost exactly the way it did in 1960.

A super PAC supporting Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s presidential bid ran the ad, which was essentially a reboot of an ad supporting Mr. Kennedy’s uncle John F. Kennedy in his 1960 presidential campaign. It features the same jingle, the same cheerful cartoons interspersed with candid photographs of the candidate, into which the younger Mr. Kennedy’s face has been superimposed.

The PAC, American Values 2024, paid $7 million for the spot, the PAC’s co-founder, Tony Lyons, said. It took about 36 hours to produce, he said.

Mr. Kennedy is running for president as an independent, having left the Democratic Party in October, arguing that the Democratic primary system was rigged against him. His candidacy has concerned many Democrats who fear that Mr. Kennedy — an environmental lawyer who has become a prominent purveyor of conspiracy theories — could siphon votes away from President Biden.

The super PAC has heightened suspicions about Mr. Kennedy’s base of support. A substantial portion of the PAC’s funding, about $15 million, came from Timothy Mellon, a Republican who has also given $10 million to a super PAC backing former President Donald J. Trump.

“It’s fitting that the first national ad promoting Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s candidacy was bought and paid for by Donald Trump’s largest donor this cycle,” said Alex Floyd, a spokesman for the Democratic National Committee. “R.F.K. Jr. is nothing more than a Trump stalking horse in this race.”

Super Bowl ads are often heavy on nostalgia — commercials on Sunday night featured vintage