In the last several months, Zohran Mamdani has made a name for himself in the New York City mayor’s race by rising in the polls, raising large amounts of money and garnering a surprising amount of attention through a series of viral social media videos.

Now Mr. Mamdani, a state assemblyman from Queens, will take his act to television, launching the first broadcast advertisement in the race.

The 30-second video, which will air during the New York Knicks playoff game on Thursday, has two goals: attacking the race’s front-runner, former Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo, and introducing Mr. Mamdani and his populist ideas to a broader audience.

Mr. Mamdani argues in the ad that electing Mr. Cuomo would amount to a second term for Mayor Eric Adams, portraying both leaders as corrupt and beholden to wealthy donors.

“I have a different vision: to make housing, child care and public transit affordable,” he says standing near a bus stop smiling as the words “free buses” flash onscreen.

The new ad is more staid and traditional than his frenetic street realism videos, some of which have attracted more than a million page views. His latest video this week with Chi Ossé — the Gen Z City Council member who was the force behind a new law to prevent renters from having to pay broker fees — featured the J train and a spicy chicken sandwich from Popeye’s and pondered the question “Why is stuff not working?” using an expletive.