Dunkin’ readies celeb-heavy ‘intern’ class for summer of culture plays

Dive Brief:

Dunkin’ on Monday (June 17) launched a summer campaign that features actor Will Arnett and content creator Corporate Natalie as the leaders of a class of “Dunkin’Tern” creators, per details shared with Marketing Dive.
Content creators from the worlds of music, food, fashion, gaming and beyond will debut “projects” that promote the chain’s Iced Coffee, Dunkin’ Refreshers and Sparkd’ Energy products this summer. The rollout includes a 30-second hero ad and four creator-specific 15-second spots.
The campaign is the latest work stemming from Dunkin’s partnership with Ben Affleck and Matt Damon’s Artists Equity and demonstrates how the brand is continuing to engage with consumers around pop culture following its popular “DunKings” Super Bowl spot.

Dive Insight:

Dunkin’ is giving the DunKings — a fictional pop group fronted by brand ambassador Ben Affleck that starred in its latest Super Bowl spot — a break for summer. The quick-service chain is pivoting to an episodic campaign around a group of Dunkin’Terns led by Arnett and Corporate Natalie, a content creator and the self-described “CEO of Work-From-Home Jokes.”

A 30-second “Orientation” commercial introduces the team of interns, and while Affleck is not in the ad, it does feature a malfunctioning robot designed to resemble the actor-director. The spot also introduces the concept of “Big Dunkin’ Iced Energy,” a play on slang that continues to crop up in ad campaigns, as the brand looks to promote its iced beverages this summer.

The campaign will continue throughout the season as the intern team releases “summer projects” that promote various iced drinks. Boy band veterans Joey Fatone and A.J. McLean will create a song for Dunkin’s first EP; chef Nick DiGiovanni will craft an “Iced Coffee Mixology” menu; designer Yoon Ahn will drop a capsule collection; and Twitch streamer SypherPK will bring Sparkd’ Energy by Dunkin’ into a gaming activation. Actress Maia Reficco, Miss Massachusetts USA 2024 winner Melissa Sapini, plant stylist Hilton Carter and others also feature in the effort.

The creative was made in collaboration with Artists Equity, the production company Affleck founded alongside Matt Damon. Artists Equity has been behind several popular campaigns that have toyed with Affleck’s love for Dunkin’, including a Super Bowl spot this year that featured Damon, Jennifer Lopez and Tom Brady and represented one of the big game’s highlights.

Along with iced coffee, the campaign looks to boost the brand’s Dunkin’ Refresher and Sparkd’ Energy products. Refreshers mix fruit flavors like mango pineapple and strawberry dragon fruit with green tea or lemonade, while Sparkd’ is an energy drink that contains vitamins, minerals and caffeine. The innovations could help Dunkin’ keep pace with competitors Starbucks and CosMc’s, McDonald’s new beverage-focused concept.