What Smart Brands Do

I wanted to wait to write this post until after the Bennifer/Dunkin’ (Dunkinber?) hype diffused a bit, so that I could bring up something fun post-Super Bowl that you probably haven’t forgotten about, but hasn’t been blowing up your social media! 

I’m a big fan of Super Bowl commercials, and I know I’m not alone. I know so many people who aren’t even fans of football who tune in just to watch the commercials! What I love most, besides the innovative, super creative ads, is seeing how longtime brands find a way of reinventing themselves in the minds of consumers. As many of you may know, I’ve been a fan of Dunkin’s rebrand for a long time. I’ve posted about their running shoes as well as the unveiling of their new line of paint compared with their original commercial with Fred the Baker, the “time to make the donuts” man. But they’ve outdone themselves with their most recent Ben Affleck/J Lo commercial, including notable celebs like Tom Brady and Matt Damon. If you haven’t seen the extended version, it’s in this Esquire magazine post, and I love how it tells a full circle story of Ben’s musical journey, painting him as the iconic Boston Dunkin’ lover. His brother, Casey, has also done some hilarious skits on SNL about this that are beautifully on brand. Notice how Ben and his crew’s jumpsuits are Dunkin’s orange and fuchsia colors, and how J Lo has a diamond-bedazzled Dunkin water cup? This is a very humorous way to infuse Dunkin’s east coast roots with big celebrity influence. Dunkin’ has come a LONG way from Fred the Baker, which was pretty memorable in its time, but now it’s memorable in a totally new, very relevant and fun, way! So long as they keep up with this kind of innovation and attach themselves to relevant celebrities and on-brand cultural relevance, I see the Dunkin’ brand remaining strong in the public eye for the foreseeable future!

What do you think about the refresh to the Dunkin’ brand?