logo
From duvet covers to tracksuits: Dunkin' bringing back limited-edition merch

From duvet covers to tracksuits: Dunkin' bringing back limited-edition merch

USA Today16-06-2025
From duvet covers to tracksuits: Dunkin' bringing back limited-edition merch
Show Caption
Hide Caption
Dunkin' Donuts gives pit bull VIP treatment for his birthday
Apollo the dog goes viral after a Dunkin' Donut shop celebrates his birthday with a song and a tasty treat in Chester, New York.
USA Today
Dunkin' is bringing back sold-out merchandise, including the DunKings tracksuit worn by Ben Affleck for Super Bowl 58, in support of a good cause.
The merch drop coincides with Dunkin' Iced Coffee Day on June 18, an annual fundraiser for the Dunkin' Joy in Childhood Foundation, a non-profit organization that "provides grants to hundreds of nonprofits each year making a difference in the lives of kids battling hunger or illness across the country."
One dollar from every iced coffee and cold brew sold at participating Dunkin' locations nationwide will be donated to the foundation, which is powered by powered by Dunkin' and franchisees, partners, employees and guests.
"One hundred percent of the donated funds raised on Dunkin' Iced Coffee Day will go back to local communities, supporting health and hunger relief organizations that share the Foundation's commitment to delivering joy to kids when and where it's needed most," Dunkin said in a June 12 news release.
Dunkin' says 100% of proceeds from sales on ShopDunkin.com will also support the foundation while supplies last.
DunKings merch, more returns on Dunkin' Iced Coffee Day
All sorts of Dunkin' merch, including clothing and a donut pool, will return to Dunkin's online shop on June 18, while supplies last.
"Dunkin' is bringing back previous launches and past sold-out merchandise," Dunkin' said in the news release. "From the brand's first-ever wedding merch collection to Dunkin' duvet covers, fan-favorite pieces are making a comeback on June 18."
Customers get a "second chance to shop while supporting a joyful cause."
The price range for the products was not immediately available.
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

How 'genetics' ads from American Eagle and Dunkin' triggered a cultural firestorm
How 'genetics' ads from American Eagle and Dunkin' triggered a cultural firestorm

Yahoo

time2 days ago

  • Yahoo

How 'genetics' ads from American Eagle and Dunkin' triggered a cultural firestorm

This week, social media fell into a frenzy over actress Sydney Sweeney and popular chain Dunkin'. The reason for the furor? A pair of advertisements featuring "genetics" led some to speculate about ties to eugenics and "whiteness," while others jumped to defend the actors, clothing and coffee and donut brands. Fox News Digital breaks down how it happened, what people are saying and whether experts feel if this kind of advertising signals a broader trend to come. Sweeney paired up with clothing brand American Eagle for its fall clothing campaign, titled "Sydney Sweeney Has Great Jeans," which sparked a mix of reactions on social media. In a promo video posted to the brand's Instagram, the 27-year-old walked toward an American Eagle billboard featuring her and the tagline "Sydney Sweeney Has Great Genes." Sweeney crossed out "Genes" and replaced it with "Jeans" before walking away. Sydney Sweeney's Racy Ad Sparks Outrage But Fans Defend Anti-'woke' Style Liberal media outlets and progressive commentators fretted over what they deemed coded language from American Eagle about White supremacy and eugenics. Read On The Fox News App On ABC's "GMA First Look" Tuesday, the show featured a clip of Kean University professor Robin Landa linking Sweeney's "good jeans" to the eugenics movement. Liberal outlets like Salon piled in on the backlash, with the outlet's weekend editor CK Smith also linking the tagline of Sweeney's ad to "eugenics movements." "The advertisement, the choice of Sweeney as the sole face in it and the internet's reaction reflect an unbridled cultural shift toward Whiteness, conservatism and capitalist exploitation. Sweeney is both a symptom and a participant," MSNBC producer Hanna Holland wrote in an column on Monday. In response, conservatives gleefully mocked their concerns. WWE Hall of Famer Sgt. Slaughter appeared to be in Sweeney's corner, posting, "Attention (Sydney Sweeney), YOU GO GIRL," on X on Wednesday. Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, posted, "Wow. Now the crazy Left has come out against beautiful women. I'm sure that will poll well." Said OutKick host Clay Travis on his show, "We're repudiating this idea that fat people and woke people advertising works." A Trump White House official also waded into the controversy, calling left-wing backlash and claims of a "shift toward Whiteness" more "cancel culture run amok." Not that it was only liberals who took issue with the ad. The satire site Babylon Bee poked fun at conservatives who reveled in Sweeney's ad, saying they were cheering "the death of wokeness as America finally returned to its Christian roots of objectifying women's bodies to sell stuff." Wwe Legend In Sydney Sweeney's Corner Following American Eagle Ad Furor In addition to American Eagle, Dunkin' released a short spot for its new summer Refresher drinks on Tuesday featuring "The Summer I Turned Pretty" star, Gavin Casalegno. During the 35-second ad, the actor credited his summer tan to his "genetics." In the ad, Casalegno sat near a swimming pool holding his Dunkin' Golden Hour Refresher beverage while he referenced his pop culture status as the "king of summer" along with his tan, saying, "Look, I didn't ask to be the king of summer. It just kind of happened," he said. "This tan? Genetics. I just got my color analysis back. Guess what? Golden Summer. Literally." TikTok users hammered the spot on the platform, taking issue with Casalegno mentioning his genetics, comparing the advertisement to American Eagle. Posts included users decrying Dunkin', along with comments speculating the interest in appearance, "What's up with ads and the word genetics rn," one commenter shared, receiving 40,000 likes. New Dunkin' Ad Mentioning 'Genetics' Follows Sydney Sweeney Ad In Triggering Social Media Top Culture/Trending podcast host of The Determined Society, Shawn French, shared his take on what these viral moments mean culturally, and what he believes this signals for the future of advertisements, with Fox News Digital. "This ad didn't go viral because of its fashion or branding. It became a lightning rod because it hit on deeper cultural anxieties," French told Fox News Digital. "In 2025, we live in a low-trust society where every piece of content is scrutinized for hidden meaning, bias or agenda. The Dunkin' and American Eagle ad wasn't just seen as a marketing play, it was interpreted as a statement, and depending on who you ask, it was either performative pandering or strategic trolling." "That kind of symbolic over-analysis is now the norm. We've trained audiences to decode everything, and brands are feeling the pressure from both the left and the right," French explained. French added that the backlash from conservatives, including satire, shows that even "the culture war crowd" is becoming exhausted by what they feel to be inauthentic branding, and that progressives also criticize without any real substance. "This isn't about jeans or coffee. It's about what side of the cultural fence people think you're on and if you're trying too hard to sell 'belonging' instead of building it," French said. When it comes to the future of advertising, French said that this moment reveals consumers have lost trust in storytelling by corporations, and that brands are being picked apart for "allegiance." "That kind of symbolic paranoia is a direct reflection of where we are as a culture: fractured, hyper-interpretive and desperate to know what and who we're really supporting," French said. 'The Five': Will Woke Outrage Over Sydney Sweeney Ad Help Dems With Their 'Glaring' Man Problem? While some have dubbed the American Eagle and Dunkin' campaigns "tone-deaf" due to the alleged racial undertones, others have praised the actress for killing "woke" advertising. Advertisements of the past have a history of marketing based on looks and attractiveness — including fellow clothing producer Abercrombie & Fitch, which some believe promotes exclusivity. CEO Mike Jeffries once said about his brand, "We go after the cool kids… a lot of people don't belong." Other well-known advertisements featuring marketing tactics tied directly to appearance include makeup company Maybelline Cosmetics' tagline, "Maybe she's born with it," which some argue is a reference to genetic inheritance. Despite the controversy, The Times reports that American Eagle has garnered more than $65 million in free advertising since the Sweeney advertisement launched on July 23 — with over four billion impressions. Comparatively, the clothing brand was operating at a $68 million loss in May of 2025. And $200 million was added to American Eagle's market capitalization by Monday. The War On Hot Women: Why The Woke Mob Hates Sydney Sweeney Public Relations and branding expert Eric Schiffer told Business Insider that, in reference to Sweeney, "She's going to be even bigger because of this." At the time of this article, no official numbers had been released for Dunkin' following the advertisement launch on July 29. When it comes to the future of business for brands, French noted that brands are judged by perceptions of their audiences by what the meaning of their advertisement is, not just what's being said. "Brands need to understand this isn't business as usual anymore. Every campaign is a Rorschach test, and people are no longer buying just for the product they're buying (or boycotting) what it represents," French said. Representatives for Dunkin', American Eagle, Sydney Sweeney and Gavin Casalegno have not responded to requests for article source: How 'genetics' ads from American Eagle and Dunkin' triggered a cultural firestorm Solve the daily Crossword

Dunkin' releases controversial commercial mentioning genetics amid uproar over Sydney Sweeney ads
Dunkin' releases controversial commercial mentioning genetics amid uproar over Sydney Sweeney ads

Boston Globe

time2 days ago

  • Boston Globe

Dunkin' releases controversial commercial mentioning genetics amid uproar over Sydney Sweeney ads

While lounging poolside with a 'Golden Hour Refresher' in hand, 'The Summer I Turned Pretty' co-star Gavin Casalegno attributes his suntan to genetics and says his color analysis 'literally' came back 'golden summer.' 'If sipping these refreshers makes me the king of summer? Guilty as charged,' he says. Advertisement Amid the uproar over the American Eagle campaign, the Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. Enter Email Sign Up A spokesperson for the Canton-based Dunkin' has not responded to a request for comment. The biggest issue raised with American Eagle's new campaign, titled 'Sydney Sweeney has great jeans,' was the part To some, the ad seemed tone-deaf, particularly at a time when President Trump is attacking Advertisement American Eagle has not publicly commented on the controversy over its campaign. Eugenics, which gained popularity in the early 20th century, is the discredited theory that selective breeding can be used to improve the human race, and it has been linked to racist policies and beliefs, according to the The timing, and similar reference to genetics, of the Dunkin' promotion immediately drew attention. Conservative commentators and influencers seized on the backlash, with some saying they would now be getting their coffee at Dunkin' and others posting In the past, Republicans have boycotted a number of companies — among them Sara McCord, a marketing communications strategist, called the Dunkin' ad 'problematic for so many reasons,' criticizing the depiction of crowning someone king in an ad only weeks after the nationwide Advertisement 'When they say that art imitates life, clearly, these throughlines and discussions and philosophies are percolating under the surface because of what is happening culturally,' she said. 'Not even under the surface. What's happening right in front of our face is informing creative [strategy] that people think is reasonable.' While others in the industry agreed companies should avoid bringing up genetics in advertisements, they said the Dunkin' campaign seemed like an ill-timed coincidence. In contrast to Dunkin', it seemed like American Eagle was intentionally 'chasing buzz, using controversy to pack a punch,' Mouna El Azim, And in the days immediately following the launch of the Sweeney campaign, it seemed to have an impact, as its stock rose From a business perspective, it makes sense why Dunkin' didn't scrap their idea after the American Eagle campaign landed, 'They likely spent millions on it, they couldn't exactly hold it due to the drink's release and the popularity of the show and I'm sure they didn't think the 'genetics' line was THAT bad,' she said. 'All that to say, maybe we can collectively agree to avoid creating ads that speak about genetics (whether it's a pun or not)?' Advertisement You're too young to remember, but this is what being in High School and grabbing a dunkin on the way to Abercrombie was like in 2005 — Matt (@MatthewRideout) Dunkin' is cashing in on the good genes trend with a full-blown white boy summer ad in all its golden glory. — P👁‍🗨NY (@PONY_Official) American Eagle and Dunkin' Donuts's sales after making anti-woke commercials — MAGS (@TAftermath2020) Oh just going to Dunkin Donuts in my Ford Mustang and wearing my AE jeans. — Fred Simon (@FredSimonTLM) Shannon Larson can be reached at

Dunkin' Announces Major Menu Change
Dunkin' Announces Major Menu Change

Newsweek

time2 days ago

  • Newsweek

Dunkin' Announces Major Menu Change

Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Dunkin' has named actor Gavin Casalegno the "King of Summer" as part of its latest seasonal campaign, launching a new drink, the Golden Hour Dunkin' Refresher. The promotion is supported by a commercial featuring Casalegno, star of The Summer I Turned Pretty, and a wave of new limited-time beverages. Newsweek hascontacted Dunkin' for comment via email on Thursday. Why It Matters Founded in 1950, Dunkin' is the largest coffee and doughnut chain in the United States, operating over 14,000 locations across nearly 40 international markets. The brand is part of the Inspire Brands portfolio. The latest promotion highlights Dunkin's push to stay competitive in the fast-growing iced drink market, especially among younger customers. With customizable app-exclusive drink options and celebrity-led marketing, the brand aims to boost loyalty program engagement and social media buzz. To celebrate the drink's launch, Casalegno appears in a new social video, "King of Summer," following his appearance in the brand's "Not Just a Snack" campaign. What To Know The latest launch follows a summer of releases featuring pop culture favorites—from Pink Spritz with Paige DeSorbo to Sabrina's Strawberry Daydream with Sabrina Carpenter, and now Golden Hour with Casalegno. The new Golden Hour Refresher blends mango, pineapple and strawberry dragonfruit flavors with lemonade, and is joined by the Blueberry Breeze Refresher as part of Dunkin's summer menu. Through the Dunkin' app, customers can also access mixology-inspired drinks like the Blueberry Strawberry Sparkling Refresher and Guava Strawberry Black Tea Refresher or customize their own with the "Mix Your Own Refresher" option. Guests can choose from a variety of drink bases, including green tea, black tea, lemonade, sparkling water, water, or oatmilk, and tailor flavor combinations and sweetness levels to create their perfect summer sip. Dunkin' Rewards members can enjoy any medium Refresher for $3 through August 19 at participating locations. As previously reported by Newsweek, the Dunkin' ad promoting the launch shows Casalegno lounging by the pool and sipping the new Golden Hour Refresher drink. He references his "golden" tan, which he attributes to "genetics." The ad is facing backlash for its use of the word "genetics." It was released just days after American Eagle's "Sydney Sweeney Has Great Jeans" campaign, which has faced backlash over claims of racist undertones and eugenics messaging, largely tied to its focus on Sweeney's genetics. Despite the backlash, some users online defended Dunkin', suggesting the criticism is overblown and the commercial was clearly meant to be humorous. A general view of a Dunkin' store on August 23, 2024, in Oceanside, New York. A general view of a Dunkin' store on August 23, 2024, in Oceanside, New People Are Saying Actor Gavin Casalegno in a news release for Dunkin': "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." What Happens Next? Dunkin' has not commented publicly on the ad controversy. The drink promotion continues through mid-August as planned. To stay up to date on Dunkin's full summer menu lineup, visit or subscribe to the Dunkin' blog to receive notifications at

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store