{"id":58986,"date":"2025-08-05T01:18:15","date_gmt":"2025-08-05T01:18:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/58986\/"},"modified":"2025-08-05T01:18:15","modified_gmt":"2025-08-05T01:18:15","slug":"dunkin-receives-criticism-for-gavin-casalegno-ad-mentioning-genetics","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/58986\/","title":{"rendered":"Dunkin’ receives criticism for Gavin Casalegno ad mentioning ‘genetics’"},"content":{"rendered":"

Dunkin’ dropped a new ad last week starring “The Summer I Turned Pretty”<\/a> actor Gavin Casalegno<\/a>, and it has sparked some online discourse.<\/p>\n

The coffee shop chain released the commercial July 29<\/a>, with a couple of new menu items, and some people are drawing comparisons between this ad and a recent, widely discussed American Eagle ad<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Many critics honed in on the mention of Casalegno’s “genetics” in the 35-second spot<\/a> advertising the new Golden Hour Refresher.<\/p>\n

“Look, I didn’t ask to be the king of summer. It just kinda happened,” Casalegno says in the ad. “This tan? Genetics. I just got my color analysis back. Guess what? Golden summer. Literally.<\/p>\n

“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.”<\/p>\n

USA TODAY has reached out to representatives for Dunkin’ and Casalegno for comment.<\/p>\n

The messaging has divided social media.<\/p>\n

Some have doubled down on their support of the coffee chain. Others are saying the ad reminds them of\u00a0American Eagle’s new commercial starring\u00a0Sydney Sweeney<\/a>, which also mentions “genes.”<\/p>\n

One TikTok commenter wrote, “Genuinely what does a drink have to do with genetics???”<\/p>\n

\"Gavin<\/p>\n

Gavin Casalegno poses with Dunking’s Golden Hour Refresher in a campaign crowning him the “King of Summer,” which kicked off July 29, 2025.<\/p>\n

Dunkin’ calls the video ‘playful’<\/p>\n

In a press release last week, Dunkin’ called the promotion “a playful new social video [titled] ‘King of Summer.'”<\/p>\n

Casalegno had previously starred in the Dunkin’s “Not Just a Snack<\/a>” campaign, according to the company.<\/p>\n

“Casalegno now claims his crown, a playful nod to his effortlessly sunny energy and the golden glow of his order: the Golden Hour Refresher,” Dunkin’ said.<\/p>\n

The 25-year-old actor was also quoted in the press release, saying, “There’s just something about a summer sunset that makes everything feel a little better, and Dunkin\u2019s Golden Hour Refresher really captures that vibe. It\u2019s refreshing and kind of just lifts your mood. I\u2019ve been a Dunkin\u2019 fan for years, so teaming up again is such a fun way to celebrate summer.”<\/p>\n

\"Gavin<\/p>\n

Gavin Casalegno drinks a Golden Hour Refresher from Dunkin’. Photo: Sara Jaye Weiss\/Getty Images for DUNKIN’<\/p>\n

The promotion of Dunkin’s newest offerings arrives on the heels of American Eagle’s July 23 launch of its new campaign<\/a> with “Euphoria” star Sweeney, which includes a pair of pants \u2013 called “The Sydney Jean” \u2013 that raises money for the Crisis Text Line.<\/p>\n

In one of the promotional videos, Sweeney playfully interchanges the homophones of “jeans” and “genes,” with the campaign’s messaging indicating that the actress has both\u00a0“great” jeans\u00a0and\u00a0genes<\/a>. Critics of the slogan have said it evokes the discredited philosophies of eugenics and glorifies whiteness.<\/p>\n

The top-voted comment under Dunkin’s\u00a0TikTok post<\/a>\u00a0with 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.<\/p>\n

“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.”<\/p>\n

Others say they’re fine with the messaging<\/p>\n

There’s also a contingent of people who have said they’re either fine with the messaging or support it.<\/p>\n

“Guess I\u2019ll 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 comment says.<\/p>\n

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.”<\/p>\n

These comments echo the views of President\u00a0Donald Trump<\/a>‘s administration, which chimed in on the discourse when White House Communications Director Steven Cheung, on July 29,\u00a0wrote on X<\/a>\u00a0that “This warped, moronic and dense liberal thinking is a big reason why Americans voted the way they did in 2024.”<\/p>\n

Then on Sunday, Aug. 3, when Trump was asked about Sweeney’s ad, he said he “loved it,”<\/a> especially upon hearing that the actress is reportedly a registered Republican.<\/p>\n

“She’s a registered Republican?” Trump said<\/a>. “Oh, now I love her ad. Is that right? You’d be surprised at how many people are Republicans. That’s one I wouldn’t have known, but I’m glad you told me that. If Sydney Sweeney is a registered Republican, I think her ad is fantastic.”<\/p>\n

He also praised the ad on Truth Social<\/a>, his social media app.<\/p>\n

Marcus Collins, clinical assistant professor of marketing at the University of Michigan’s Ross School of Business,\u00a0previously told<\/a>\u00a0USA 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.<\/p>\n

“This feels pretty on brand for [companies] these days,” Collins said.<\/p>\n

Contributing: Nicole Fallert, USA TODAY<\/p>\n

This article originally appeared on The Patriot Ledger: New Dunkin’ ad has people talking due to mention of ‘genetics’<\/a><\/p>\n