Written by Jenny Foye
Dunkin’ and their Endorsers
Dunkin’ is infamous for collaborating with influencers and celebrities in their unique marketing campaigns. Let’s dive into how this creates value to the Dunkin’ brand. Back in the summer of 2016, Dunkin’ included two New England legends, Rob Gronkowski, and David Ortiz in their “Dunkin’ Paradise” campaign. In 2020, Dunkin’ took a shot at influencer marketing and used TikTok star Charli D’Amelio to promote a new drink called “The Charli”. This campaign alone contributed major success to the Dunkin’ brand. They sold so many cups within the first five days of this campaign that they noticed a 57% increase in downloads of the mobile app and saw a 45% increase on cold brew sales the day after the launch. In 2023, Dunkin’ featured actor Ben Affleck and superstar Jennifer Lopez in an advertisement that aired during Superbowl LVII. Dunkin’ followed up with another advertisement in September 2023 featuring Ben Affleck and rapper Ice Spice to promote a new drink inspired by the female rapper. Here, we start to see Ben Affleck become a familiar face in Dunkin’ commercials.
“The Dunkings”
Dunkin’ saw loads success with the use of these celebrity endorsers. However, using Ben Affleck changed the game for them. They sold more donuts the day after Superbowl LVII than any other day in history. Dunkin’ chose to continue using Affleck as the main character in a series of ads that aired starting the weekend of the 66th Annual Grammy Awards. Not only did they continue using Affleck, but we see Charli D’Amelio and Jennifer Lopez again. The first ad that aired during the Grammy’s starts with a news headline accusing Affleck to be “The Boredest Man in the World”. He humorously begins plotting to find a new passion that can compare to his famous wife, asking for advice from a bunch of people on where he can start, of course using a Boston accent. Charli D’Amelio is also highlighted in this ad and attempts to teach Affleck how to dance. It then closes with “to be continued” and left the people wondering “what’s next?”. Curious fan’s questions were answered by the “Dunkings” during Superbowl LVIII. The advertisement opens with a conversation between singer Jack Harlow and Ben Affleck which leads to a performance dedicated to Jennifer Lopez from the “Dunkings”. The humorous advertisement highlighted more stars with a connection to Boston, including Tom Brady and Matt Damon. Affleck, Brady, Damon, and others are seen wearing flashy pink and orange tracksuits while performing to JLo, and closes with Affleck revealing that Dunkin’ is naming a drink after the “Dunkings”. Dunkin’ then released an entire menu of items dedicated to the “Dunkings”, as well as exclusive merchandise on the Dunkin’ website.
Why Boston and Why Ben Affleck?
The Dunkin’ coffee chain was established in 1950 in Quincy, MA, a suburb outside of Boston. In 1960, the company began franchising and Dunkin’ Donuts began popping up in other states all over the US. Today, there are 28,776 locations in the US, however over 5,000 of their locations are in New England. Dunkin’ is very significant and iconic to New England, which is why they choose to focus on this location with their marketing. With New England being the center of their marketing campaigns, why not use a star who comes from Boston? Ben Affleck was raised in Cambridge, MA which is where he met friend and co-star, Matt Damon. These two are seen as icons in Boston as they are locals who made it big, which is why it was perfect that they were the stars of Dunkin’s advertisement that aired during the Big Game.
The Success that Came from “The Dunkings”
On the Monday after Superbowl LVIII, Dunkin’ released the same tracksuit that was worn by Affleck, Brady, and Damon in the advertisement on their website. The pink and orange tracksuit cost $120 for the set (top and bottoms costing $60 each). Fans ran as fast as they could to get their hands on these infamous flashy outfits, and they sold out within 19 minutes. A “Dunkings” bucket hat was also available on the website and is now sold out as well. TMZ reported that the sales of this merchandise broke a record for Dunkin’ and it is the fastest collection to sell out in history for the brand. They are working on restocking the exclusive merchandise, hoping that it will continue to be a big success for them. And of course, they have their new “Dunkings” menu featuring two flavored iced coffees, a refresher, a breakfast sandwich, and Dunkin’s famous munchkins on a skewer. This is a campaign that cost Dunkin’ millions of dollars to bring to life, however the success and buzz around it will be beneficial in the long run for Dunkin’.
Sources:
https://news.dunkindonuts.com/blog/gronk-big-papi-are-back-with-new-single-dunkin-paradise
AMA University of New Hampshire 
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