It’s summer, and it seems that even the DunKings need a break, with actor-comedian Will Arnett taking over from Ben Affleck and Matt Damon for Dunkin’s latest campaign.
Still led by independent agency Artists Equity, co-founded by Affleck and Damon, the cross-platform campaign titled “Dunkin’Terns” aims to “put a Dunkin’ Iced beverage in every hand this summer.”
According to the donut chain’s press release, the brand is continuing its partnership with Affleck and Damon through their agency for this episodic campaign that builds on the “Dunkin’ Cinematic Universe.”
“Dunkin’Terns” follows the success of “The DunKings” campaign, with appearances by Tom Brady and Jennifer Lopez, which debuted at the 2024 Super Bowl.
The series of ads for “The DunKings,” which includes an extended cut and a full song titled “Don't Dunk Away at My Heart” for Valentine’s Day, has garnered over 7.1 million views on YouTube to date.
Another Cast of A-Listers
Dunkin’ isn’t letting Affleck and Damon’s summer vacation bring it down, showcasing creative marketing at its best by using humor along with recognizable names to promote its iced drinks for the summer.
The “Dunkin’Terns,” headed by supervisors Arnett and content creator Corporate Natalie (Natalie Marshall in real life), include the following A-listers:
- NSYNC’s Joey Fatone
- Backstreet Boys’ A.J. McLean
- Chef Nick DiGiovanni
- Twitch Streamer SypherPK
- Actress Maia Reficco
- 2024 Miss Massachusetts USA Melissa Sapini
- Stylist Hilton Carter
The 30-second hero spot titled "Orientation" opens with Arnett, Natalie, and their summer interns heading upstairs to the conference room.
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As the meeting starts, Natalie throws in the term “Dunkin’Terns” as Arnett excitedly calls out the fact that the DunKings were not there.
The duo then discuss BDIE, which means “Big Dunkin’ Iced Energy,” with Reficco interrupting the presentation to ask about the “big Dunkin’ Iced button” on the table.
After pushing the button, Affleck’s robot version (the "Ben Bot") suddenly comes in with an Iced Coffee and Arnett’s car keys in each hand.
The spot ends with everyone toasting with their iced Dunkin’ drinks and putting “a Dunkin’ Ice in every hand this summer.”
“We’re known for our endless options of iced beverages, and this summer, we’re making our mark with some exciting collaborations inspired by them,” Dunkin’ CMO Jill McVicar Nelson told Adweek.
The “Dunkin’Terns” campaign also includes the future release of a single — this time, a "banger" from Fatone and McLean inspired by the brand’s classic Iced Coffee.
DiGiovanni will work with Dunkin’ Chef Dan Cole to develop a new menu centering on his own version of Iced Coffee Mixology, which will feature Dunkin’s Blueberry Donut Iced Coffee.
Meanwhile, Ahn will design a capsule collection as part of Dunkin’s back-to-school initiative, and SypherPK, together with Oni Studios, will be in charge of bringing SPARKD’ Energy by Dunkin’ into the virtual world later this summer.
Other celebrities and influencers also have their own scheduled participation in the “Dunkin’Terns” campaign, which will roll out through the summer.
“From hit songs to a bespoke menu and back-to-school fashion, our Dunkin’Terns are ready to infuse ‘big Dunkin’ iced energy’ into everything they do. We can’t wait for our guests to sip along with them on this fun journey all summer long,” Nelson concluded.
