If you’ve spent any time on social media lately, you’ve probably seen a very familiar face in a very unfamiliar setting. Robert Irwin, the son of the legendary Crocodile Hunter Steve Irwin, recently ditched his signature khaki button-down for something a bit more… minimal.
It was for a Bonds campaign.
People are genuinely losing their minds. It’s not just that the "little kid from the zoo" is now a 22-year-old man with a gym membership. It’s the sheer audacity of the ad itself. Imagine a guy sitting in his backyard, wearing nothing but a pair of trunks, while a massive python casually hangs around his neck. That’s the vibe. It’s chaotic. It’s peak Australia. And honestly? It worked better than anyone expected.
What Actually Happened with the Robert Irwin Underwear Ad?
The campaign, titled "Made for Down Under," officially dropped in April 2025. It wasn't just a local Aussie thing, either. This was Bonds’ big, aggressive push into the United States market. They needed someone who screamed "Australia" but also had enough global pull to make Americans stop scrolling.
Robert was the perfect choice.
The shoot was basically a love letter to Aussie suburbia. Think white plastic lawn chairs, rusty Hills Hoist clotheslines, and sprinklers going off in the background. But instead of just a regular model, you have Robert Irwin looking incredibly fit, handling venomous spiders and snakes like they’re house cats.
The internet reaction was immediate. Within the first four days, there were over 1.3 million searches on TikTok for the term "Robert Irwin Bonds ad." One video alone racked up 23 million views. For a brand that’s been an icon in Australia for a century, this was a massive digital win.
The "Crikey" Factor: Why It Went Viral
Most celebrity underwear ads are slick, black-and-white, and deeply serious. Think Calvin Klein with Jeremy Allen White. But Bonds went the opposite direction. They leaned into the "larrikin" energy—that specifically Australian brand of cheeky, unpretentious humor.
Robert himself admitted that the whole thing was a bit of an adrenaline rush. He told People magazine that "getting your gear off is way scarier than wrangling a croc!"
He wasn't lying about the prep work, though.
To get ready for the shoot, Robert went on a strict regimen of sprints, hill runs at the Australia Zoo, and way more sit-ups than he’d ever done. He wanted to represent Australia well on the world stage. And based on the comments section—which ranged from "When did he become a man?" to "I'm moving to Australia tomorrow"—he definitely succeeded.
The Numbers Behind the Hype
If you think this was just about selling a few pairs of boxers, think again. The campaign generated an estimated $8 million in media impact value in just its first week. Bonds saw a 96% growth on TikTok and a staggering 7,000% increase in organic social impressions.
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It wasn't all just thirst traps and memes, though. Robert has been very vocal about using this new platform for his real mission: conservation. He explicitly stated that if modeling undies helps him reach a younger, global audience to talk about protecting the planet, he’s all in.
Dealing with the "Scary" Side of Fame
Not everything about going viral is fun. By June 2025, Robert admitted to The New Daily that he had started avoiding his direct messages entirely. He called it a "scary place."
You can imagine why.
There was a lot of public debate about the "objectification" of men. Some radio hosts in Australia called out a double standard, asking if people would be allowed to make the same thirsty comments if the model were a 21-year-old woman. Robert, for his part, handled it with his usual grace. He’s used to being in the spotlight, but this was a different kind of attention—one that moved him from "wholesome zookeeper" to "global heartthrob" almost overnight.
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What’s Next for Robert?
Since the ad aired, Robert’s career has exploded even further. He recently won Season 34 of Dancing With the Stars (following in his sister Bindi’s footsteps) and is currently back in South Africa co-hosting I’m a Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here! for the 2026 season.
He’s also experimenting with his look. Just this month, he pranked his mom, Terri, by shaving his beard into a Tom Selleck-style mustache, proving he hasn't lost that goofy sense of humor despite the newfound "supermodel" status.
Real Talk for Creators and Brands
There is a huge lesson here for anyone in marketing or content. The Robert Irwin underwear ad worked because it was authentic. It didn't try to make him look like a brooding Parisian runway model. It kept him in his element—with the animals, in the dirt, being a "larrikin."
If you're looking to replicate this kind of success in your own projects:
- Don't ignore your roots. Robert stayed the "wildlife warrior," just with less clothing.
- Embrace the "weird." The spider on the leg and the snake around the neck made the ad unskippable.
- Lean into the conversation. Bonds didn't stay quiet; they bantered with fans in the comments, making the campaign feel like a shared joke rather than a corporate mandate.
Robert is no longer just Steve’s son. He’s a brand in his own right, proving that you can stay true to a family legacy while still carving out a completely unexpected path. Whether he's in khakis or Bonds, the world is clearly watching.
If you're following Robert's journey, the best way to support his mission is to stay updated on the Australia Zoo conservation projects, which remain the core focus of everything he does, even when he’s "breaking the internet."