Latest news with #GoldenHourRefresher
Hindustan Times
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- Hindustan Times
Dunkin' Donuts faces heat over Gavin Casalegno's ‘genetics'-obsessed ad, netizens draw comparisons to Sydney Sweeney
Dunkin' Donuts new ad over 'genetics' has created uproar on social media, drawing parallels to American Eagle's 'genes' campaign starring Sydney Sweeney. Dunkin' Donuts new ad: Star Gavin Casalegno from 'The Summer I Turned Pretty' appeared in a brief commercial for the breakfast food chain's new summer Refresher drinks that was unveiled on Tuesday. Star Gavin Casalegno from 'The Summer I Turned Pretty' appeared in a brief commercial for the breakfast food chain's new summer Refresher drinks that was unveiled on Tuesday. The 35-second commercial featured the actor attributing his summertime tan to his 'genetics.' 'Look, I didn't ask to be the king of summer. It just kinda happened,' Casalegno, 25, 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. So if sipping these refreshers makes me the king of summer? Guilty as charged,' he adds. Dunkin' Donuts ad causes uproar Some social media users have doubled down on their support for the coffee company, while others have drawn comparisons to American Eagle's "genes" campaign, which featured Sydney Sweeney with 'Sydney Sweeney Has Great Jeans' tagline. The line's dual meaning regarding the actress's appearance, which she got from her parents, and her pants led liberal critics to wonder if American Eagle was endorsing "Whiteness" or "eugenics." Meanwhile, a person reacted to Dunkin' Donuts ad on TikTok, writing, 'Why are ads so obsessed with genetics all of a sudden?' The script of the advertisement, meanwhile, has left some people perplexed. One Reddit member wrote: 'Not a single part of this ad makes sense? It's literally just word salad.' 'Genuinely what does a drink have to do with genetics???' another asked. 'I'll never have Dunkin' Donuts again,' a fourth user declared, while another stated, 'I guess Dunkin just joined the boycott list with Starbucks.' Also Read: Sydney Sweeney speaks out amid uproar over American Eagle 'great genes' ad controversy Casalegno opens up about Dunkin's Golden Hour Refresher Casalegno, who had previously participated in Dunkin's "Not Just a Snack" campaign, described the promotion as 'a playful new social video (titled) 'King of Summer,'' in a press statement issued on July 29. 'Casalegno now claims his crown, a playful nod to his effortlessly sunny energy and the golden glow of his order: the Golden Hour Refresher.' '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,' he adds.
Boston Globe
01-08-2025
- Entertainment
- 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
Newsweek
01-08-2025
- Entertainment
- 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
Sky News AU
01-08-2025
- Entertainment
- Sky News AU
Lefties triggered over new Dunkin ad mirroring American Eagle's own with Sydney Sweeney
The left-winged mob have gone into meltdown following a recent advertisement by Dunkin that mirrored American Eagle's own with Sydney Sweeney. Dunkin's new ad, featuring 'The Summer I Turned Pretty' star Gavin Casalegno, comes only days after Sweeney's was slammed as Nazi propaganda. In the Dunkin ad, Casalegno was seen sipping on a drink by the pool while revealing his tan was down to genetics. 'Look, I didn't ask to be the king of summer, it just kinda happened. This tan? Genetics. I just got my colour analysis back, guess what? Golden summer, literally,' he said. 'I can't help it — every time I drink a Golden Hour Refresher, it's like the sun just finds me. So if sipping these refreshers makes me the king of summer? Guilty as charged.'
Indian Express
01-08-2025
- Entertainment
- Indian Express
After Sydney Sweeney, Gavin Casalegno's Dunkin' ad faces heat over ‘genetics'-obsessed campaigns
Dunkin Donuts' new summer ad starring The Summer I Turned Pretty actor Gavin Casalegno has left many disappointed, and all because of one word: genetics. The outrage comes on the heels of Sydney Sweeney's American Eagle 'Perfect Genes' campaign, which was slammed for glorifying white traits and pushing Nazi propaganda. In a July 29 press release, Dunkin' described the new spot as 'a playful social video titled 'King of Summer,'' led by Casalegno, who had earlier featured in their 'Not Just a Snack' campaign. In the 30-second commercial, Casalegno, who plays Jeremiah in Amazon Prime Video's popular series, is seen lounging by a pool, sipping a drink, shirt open, showing off a tan. He says to the camera, 'Look, I didn't ask to be the king of summer. It just happened. This tan? Genetics.' He then adds he got a 'colour analysis' that confirmed he's a '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 in the ad. 'So if sipping these refreshers makes me the king of summer? Guilty as charged.' Earlier in its press statement, the brand said, 'Casalegno now claims his crown, a playful nod to his effortlessly sunny energy and the golden glow of his order: the Golden Hour Refresher,' without digging into the details. Also read: American Eagle breaks silence on Sydney Sweeney ad controversy, dismisses 'absurd response' as internet noise People called the ad weirdly obsessed with white features. One TikTok user wrote, 'It's giving white is right, yeah no.' Another asked, 'What's the link between coffee and genetics?' Some even pointed out the actor's blue eyes, just like Sydney Sweeney's, which once again stirred up talk around stereotyped perfect traits. Others dragged Dunkin', saying most of its stores are run by brown people, and this ad sends the opposite message. Casalegno, for his part, had 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.' This new controversy comes just days after Sydney Sweeney's American Eagle campaign caused global uproar, with the brand stepping in to explain their goal was meant to support domestic violence prevention, claiming proceeds would go to a nonprofit. In her ad, she says, 'Genes are passed down… my jeans are blue,' playing on the word 'genes' and 'jeans'. But despite the brand's attempt to tone things down, people weren't convinced, especially with no real explanation for how the delivery came off as low-key pushing 'racial superiority,' with not-so-subtle nods to eugenics and 'ideal traits' like blonde hair and blue eyes. Also read: 'Reaction to Sydney Sweeney's ad is cancel culture run amok, reason why Donald Trump won,' says White House representative So now, with Gavin's Dunkin' ad dropping right after Sweeney's, people are starting to see a pattern. Some online are even wondering if both brands used the same agency. Then there's the other side of the internet, calling the backlash just another case of 'liberals overreacting' or people being 'too sensitive.' A few even mocked the whole Sweeney-Dunkin drama, saying things like, 'Dunkin' just sent the left into a full breakdown,' or 'Don't show this ad to the libs, they're about to lose it again.' Recently, White House Communications Director Steven Cheung weighed in on the American Eagle backlash and dismissed the entire reaction as 'warped, moronic, and dense liberal thinking,' adding that this is exactly why Americans voted the way they did in 2024.
