- - Dunkin's new ad about a celeb's 'genetics' draws comparisons to Sydney Sweeney

KiMi Robinson, USA TODAY August 1, 2025 at 4:28 AM

It's becoming the summer of dunkin' on brands.

Social media users are scrutinizing a new social media ad Dunkin', starring "The Summer I Turned Pretty" leading man Gavin Casalegno, with people honing in on the actor mentioning his "genetics" while hawking the company's new drink.

"Look, I didn't ask to be the king of summer. It just kinda happened," the 25-year-old says in the video shared July 29. "This tan? Genetics. I just got my color analysis back. Guess what? Golden summer. Literally.

"I can’t help it; every time I drink a Dunkin' Golden Hour Refresher, it’s like the sun just finds me," he continues. "So if sipping these refreshers makes me the king of summer? Guilty as charged."

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Dunkin’ (@dunkin)

USA TODAY has reached out to representatives for Dunkin' and Casalegno for comment.

The messaging has divided social media, with some doubling down on their support of the coffee chain while others are drawing parallels to American Eagle's "genes" campaign starring Sydney Sweeney.

Meanwhile, a few people are left confused by the ad's script, with one Reddit user writing: "Not a single part of this ad makes sense? It’s literally just word salad." One TikTok commenter wrote: "Genuinely what does a drink have to do with genetics???"

Dunkin' calls the video 'playful'

In a July 29 press release, Dunkin' called the promotion "a playful new social video (titled) 'King of Summer,'" from Casalegno, who'd previously starred in their "Not Just a Snack" campaign. "Casalegno now claims his crown, a playful nod to his effortlessly sunny energy and the golden glow of his order: the Golden Hour Refresher."

For his part, Casalegno said in the press release that said: "There's just something about a summer sunset that makes everything feel a little better, and Dunkin’s Golden Hour Refresher really captures that vibe. It’s refreshing and kind of just lifts your mood. I’ve been a Dunkin’ fan for years, so teaming up again is such a fun way to celebrate summer."

'Why are ads so obsessed with genetics all of a sudden?'

The promotion of Dunkin's newest offering arrives on the heels of American Eagle's July 23 launch of its new campaign with "Euphoria" star Sweeney, which includes a pair of pants – called "The Sydney Jean" – that raises money for the Crisis Text Line.

In one of the promotional videos, Sweeney playfully interchanges the homophones of "jeans" and "genes," with the campaign's messaging indicating that the blonde-haired, blue-eyed actress from Washington has both "great" jeans and genes. Critics of the slogan have said it evokes the discredited philosophies of eugenics and glorifies whiteness.

The top-voted comment under Dunkin's TikTok post with Casalegno reads: "Why are ads so obsessed with genetics all of a sudden." Some of the other top-rated messages also posit rhetorical questions of the same nature.

"The genetics talk is so damn weird. Sincerely, a white guy," one Instagram comment reads, while another says, "Weird time to drop an ad talking about genetics."

People celebrate 'non-woke' messaging

There's also a contingent of people who are on board with the coffee that "America runs on."

"Guess I’ll have to stop by Dunkin and get a drink on my way to go buy a pair of American Eagle jeans! Loving all of this non-woke" messaging," an Instagram commenter writes. Another user seemingly celebrated the release of an ad that reflects similar themes to Sweeney's amid American Eagle's controversy: "I love it! The libs are losing their weak minds."

These comments echo the views of President Donald Trump's administration, which chimed in on the discourse when White House Communications Director Steven Cheung, on July 29, wrote on X that "This warped, moronic and dense liberal thinking is a big reason why Americans voted the way they did in 2024."

Marcus Collins, clinical assistant professor of marketing at the University of Michigan's Ross School of Business, previously told USA TODAY that in the case of some brand launches, the scrutiny may be the point. In 2025, the language comes amid a zeitgeist defined by major brands rolling back diversity and inclusive initiatives, according to Collins.

"This feels pretty on brand for (companies) these days," Collins said.

Contributing: Nicole Fallert, USA TODAY

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Dunkin' ad with Gavin Casalegno draws comparisons to Sydney Sweeney

Original Article on Source

Source: “AOL AOL Money”