- Dunkin’ released its second ad starring Ben Affleck, constructing on a well-received Super Bowl campaign from February, per details shared with Marketing Dive.
- “Dunkin’ Run featuring Ben Affleck” depicts the filmmaker visiting a Boston-area Dunkin’ location, where the staff mistake him for Matt Damon, his frequent collaborator and co-star in the upcoming movie “Air.” Affleck reacts to the mix-up in a typically beleaguered fashion before grabbing a Dunkin’ Run meal.
- As with the Super Bowl push, Affleck directed the ad, together with hand-picking the forged and crew. The effort was conceived and developed by Affleck and Damon’s recently launched production house, Artists Equity, as Dunkin’ experiments with recent creative partners.
Dunkin’ is shoring up an official association with Affleck following a debut Super Bowl campaign that broke through the clutter of an enormous game overcrowded with celebrity endorsements. The prior ad showed Affleck working the drive-thru of an actual Dunkin’ location, where some customers struggled to acknowledge him. “Drive-Thru” concludes with a cameo from Affleck’s wife, Jennifer Lopez. It currently has over 6 million hits on YouTube, chatting with sustained online traction after the live Super Bowl broadcast.
With its second Affleck-led business, the fast-food chain is again leaning into the actor’s put-upon qualities while promoting its Dunkin’ Run deals that provide discounts on doughnuts, mini-bagels and sausage egg and cheeses purchased with medium or larger-sized coffees. The creative sees Dunkin’ staff mistake Affleck for Damon, and while the latter doesn’t appear in the video, he’s involved in Artists Equity, the production shop behind the spot.
The timing of the rollout aligns with the April 5 release of “Air,” which Affleck directed and co-stars in with Damon. The movie, also made with Artists Equity, tells the story of Nike’s pursuit of NBA legend Michael Jordan as an athlete endorser.
Affleck’s love of Dunkin’ was well-documented for years by candid paparazzi photos that were enshrined in memes that lent the A-lister a relatable appeal. Dunkin’ formalizing the association could engage consumers that closely follow the celebrity’s profession and are enthusiastic about projects like “Air.”
The partnership also speaks to how Hollywood A-listers are getting more directly involved in the marketing world. For a protracted time, movie star appearances in TV ads was seen as an indication of fading relevance or selling out. That’s modified in the era of influencer marketing and social media. Ryan Reynolds has made a robust impression through his Maximum Effort agency, which develops creative that tries to latch onto fast-moving cultural conversations. Reynolds ceaselessly stars in the ads themselves.
In the brand new Dunkin’ spot, Affleck pokes fun at the concept of “doing commercials.”
“I don’t do commercials,” Affleck scoffs. “I’m an actual actor. This is an art form for me.”
The Dunkin’ staff then clock him as an actor from “The Departed,” a movie starring Damon.
Dunkin’s recent wins follow a tumultuous period for its marketing strategy. The Inspire Brands-owned company has modified marketing chiefs and artistic agencies several times in recent years, all during a volatile period of pandemic-driven transformation. In January, Adweek reported Dunkin’ was mulling naming Leo Burnett as its lead creative agency, clouding its future with Anomaly. Anomaly won the account in November 2021 but laid off staff early this 12 months amid a major reduction of labor stemming from the Dunkin’ business.
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