Dunkin’ Unveils New Ad Featuring Actor Gavin Casalegno
Dunkin’ launched a new advertisement on Tuesday featuring blue-eyed model Gavin Casalegno, who attributes his tan to “genetics.” The Texas-born actor, of Italian heritage, is shown enjoying a Dunkin’ Golden Hour Refresher while lounging by a pool.
Casalegno quips, “Look, I didn’t ask to be the king of summer. It just kind of happened. This tan? Genetics.” He then adds humorously, “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.”
This ad comes shortly after Sydney Sweeney’s viral campaign for American Eagle, which stirred debate online. In that ad, Sweeney was featured with the tagline, “Sydney Sweeney Has Great Genes,” a clever play on words.
Similar to Sweeney, Casalegno fits the conventional mold of attractiveness, which is often sought after in advertising. However, both share distinctive traits—white skin and blue eyes—making their associations with “genetics” intriguing and somewhat contentious.
One social media user expressed concern, saying, “What’s with the sudden, explicit push for genetics/eugenics in American advertising?”
Another user remarked on the ad’s implications, suggesting that companies are revealing their intentions with messages like “white is right.”
This isn’t the first Dunkin’ advertisement for Casalegno. He previously featured in a campaign called “Not Just A Snack” back in April, where he proclaimed, “To them we’re just a snack. They’ll never see the meal inside of us.”
Dunkin’ has consistently chosen young, traditionally attractive stars, such as Sabrina Carpenter and Charli D’Amelio, to promote its refreshments and meal offers, with Casalegno fitting seamlessly into this strategy.
His new advertisement was released amidst ongoing backlash over Sweeney’s campaign, which various critics have labeled as “Nazi propaganda.”
