Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez Get Help From 'The DunKings' — Tom Brady and Matt Damon — in Dunkin's Super Bowl Ad. Watch It Here. This year's campaign marks the brand's second Super Bowl ad and a new chapter in the "Dunkin' Cinematic Universe," which began last year when Dunkin' celebrated its number one fan, Ben Affleck, by featuring him working in a Dunkin' drive-thru in its first-ever Super Bowl ad.
Key Takeaways
- Dunkin' leveraged the star power of Ben Affleck, Jennifer Lopez, Tom Brady, Matt Damon, Fat Joe and Jack Harlow for its second Super Bowl ad.
- This strategy reinforces that Dunkin’ is more than just a coffee brand; it's a part of the cultural conversation.
- By creating 'Insta-ready' Gen Z drinks and engaging in narrative advertising that ties back to product offerings, Dunkin’ not only generates buzz around its brand but also drives consumer interest and sales.
Fresh off its Grammy Awards-premiered cliffhanger commercial pairing Ben Affleck and TikToker Charli D'Amelio, in which Affleck vowed to become a rapper, Dunkin' aired its second Super Bowl ad in the brand's history on Sunday.
This year, the brand teamed Affleck and Jennifer Lopez with an all-star cast, including Tom Brady and Matt Damon as members of Affleck's boy band, the DunKings, and rappers Fat Joe and Jack Harlow.
The 'DunKings'
In the latest ad, Affleck sits in a car with Gen Z rapper Harlow, who solemnly says, "I don't think you should do this." It has the slight feel of one of Affleck's crime dramas.
But Affleck is adamant. "Last year she came to my work, now I gotta show her what I can do." (In last year's Super Bowl ad, Lopez caught Affleck working the drive-through at a local Dunkin'.)
Next, Affleck, donning an outrageous Dunkin' tracksuit, crashes Lopez's recording session with his boy band, The DunKings, referring to himself (Or is it the band? Or is it the music?) as "The Boston Massacre." The band includes an embarrassed Matt Damon and Tom "Tommy Touchdown" Brady, sporting equally flamboyant attire. As Affleck...dances, the group's performance of "Don't Dunk Away at My Heart" embarrasses Lopez and bewilders Bronx-born rapper Fat Joe.
After the song ends, Damon sheepishly asks, "How do you like them...donuts, I'm sorry."
Brady asks if the song will be on the album, and Lopez scolds Affleck, who leaves with the band — minus Brady — after declaring that Lopez (and, we assume, Fat Joe, who is wearing a Yankee hat) is "blinded by them pinstripes." While whacking his head on a banner on the way out the door, Affleck adds, "There goes Babe Ruth."
"There's no way to watch this campaign and its many outtakes," says Jill McVicar Nelson, chief marketing officer at Dunkin', in a statement, "to try The DunKings Iced Coffee, the fun Munchkins skewer, or to wear the pink and orange tracksuits without smiling. That's the genuine, lighthearted connection we want people to feel when they think about Dunkin'."
The official YouTube video of the DunKings ad has more than 1.1 million views and 500 comments in the 12 hours since it was published.
DunKings drinks and merch
Dunkin' has rolled out new limited-edition items inspired by The DunKings. The lineup includes The DunKings Iced CoTee, which represents Ben Affleck's first official coffee order at Dunkin', and The DunKings Munchkins Skewers, featuring three donut treats on a skewer. Other related offerings are the Everything Encore Breakfast Sandwich, The Hazelnut Heartthrob Iced CoTee and, lastly, the Mixed Berry Beats Dunkin' Refresher.
In addition to DunKings menu items, Dunkin' is also selling pink and orange tracksuits like the ones Affleck, Brady and Damon wore in the commercial, as well as the fuzzy bucket hats from the ad.
Related: West Coast, Get Ready — Dunkin' Is Coming, and It's Bringing 'Insta-Ready' Gen Z Drinks With It
Partnership with Affleck
The last year has been full of hits for Dunkin'. Following the Affleck-as-an-inept-Dunkin'-worker commercial during last year's Super Bowl, which generated more than seven billion media impressions, the brand paired Affleck with rapper Ice Spice last fall. The strategy was to appeal to both Gen X and Gen Z.
It worked, and the campaign helped the brand hold steady at #6 in our 2024 Franchise 500.
But Dunkin' wasn't done. Next, it paired Affleck with TikTok's D'Amelio in the commercial that debuted during the Grammy Awards on February 4. The string of Affleck commercials (not to mention the classic Saturday Night Live skit where his brother, Casey Affleck, plays an obnoxious Dunkin' customer) has helped propel the Dunkin' brand to one of the most ubiquitous and recognizable in the country.
"The brand is just in the conversation," Scott Murphy, Dunkin's president, recently told Entrepreneur. "Whether it's Saturday Night Live or on the nighttime talk shows or in music or social media, it just really feels in the fabric of things now."
