Dunkin' Super Bowl Campaign: Media Relations and Celebrity Strategy

Talent Resources led celebrity strategy and secured national media coverage for Dunkin's Super Bowl commercial starring Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez. The agency worked the talent side of the partnership and drove press pickup across entertainment and marketing trade outlets, extending the campaign well past its 60 seconds of airtime.

The Challenge

Dunkin' needed its Super Bowl spot to stand out in a broadcast where dozens of national brands compete for the same audience. A strong ad alone rarely produces a multi-week story; it needs a celebrity pairing with built-in narrative value and a press strategy that keeps the campaign alive after the game ends.

Celebrity Strategy

Talent Resources built the campaign around Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez, using their real-life marriage and Affleck's prior turn in a Dunkin' drive-thru ad to give the spot a built-in storyline rather than a one-off celebrity cameo.

Media Relations Execution

Talent Resources secured press coverage of the Affleck-Lopez partnership across entertainment and marketing outlets before and after the Super Bowl air date, keeping the story in circulation beyond the broadcast itself. 

How the Campaign Performed

The commercial, titled "The DunKings," finished second out of 59 ads in USA Today's 2024 Ad Meter competition, scoring 6.52 out of more than 160,000 fan votes, just behind State Farm's top-ranked spot.

Merchandise tied to the campaign, including the tracksuits worn by Affleck, Matt Damon, and Tom Brady, sold out within 19 minutes of release, and that Dunkin' logged its highest-volume donut sales day in company history on Valentine's Day 2024, the week following the ad's debut.

Social engagement carried the campaign past game day. According to an independent analysis by Dunkin's Instagram reels tied to the campaign averaged 5.99 million views per post, versus a 436,000-view average in the two months prior, and the commercial itself drew a combined 12.2 million views across Instagram, YouTube, and Twitter.

FAQ

Q. What did Talent Resources do for Dunkin's Super Bowl campaign?
A: Talent Resources handled celebrity strategy and secured media coverage for Dunkin's Super Bowl commercial featuring Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez.

Q. Who starred in Dunkin's Super Bowl commercial?
A: Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez starred in "The DunKings," alongside Matt Damon and Tom Brady.

Q. How did the campaign perform?
A: The ad ranked second in USA Today's 2024 Ad Meter out of 59 commercials, and related merchandise sold out within 19 minutes of release.