Dunkin’ features Ben Affleck and Ice Spice in ad for new Munchkins drink

Ben Affleck is back in another ad for Dunkin’, this time joined by Ice Spice for a new fall drink in a bid to lean into the rapper’s Gen Z fandom. The new Ice Spice Munchkins drink is named after the rapper's fan base—Munchkins, which also is the name of Dunkin’s donut holes. The drink is a base of frozen coffee blended with pieces of pumpkin Munchkins and topped with whipped cream and a caramel drizzle. The drink was concocted based on several customer insights. Chief Marketing Officer Jill McVicar Nelson said that younger Dunkin’ customers prefer the chain’s iced and frozen coffees and that music is a passion area for them, not to mention the larger fandom around pumpkin flavoring as a signal of fall. The drink is available for a limited time starting Sept. 13. The ad for the drink debuted tonight during the 2023 “MTV Video Music Awards,” where Ice Spice was nominated for Best New Artist. Affleck wrote and directed the spot as part of his role with Artists Equity, a production company he founded in 2022 with Matt Damon. Ice Spice teased the partnership over the weekend on her social media accounts, posting an image of a Dunkin’ Munchkin wearing a silver chain with the word “princess.” View this post on Instagram A post shared by Dunkin’ (@dunkin) america runs on MUNCHKINS pic.twitter.com/FQRpmRuz0s— Ice Spice ☆ (@icespicee_) September 10, 2023 “We had been communicating with [Artists Equity] about different campaign ideas and together we approached Ice Spice on doing something that included Ben. They led the way in combining them in a funny way,” McVicar Nelson said. The ad opens with Affleck saying that he was promoted to Dunkin’s brand ambassador, and cuts to him sitting across the table from Ice Spice, brainstorming ideas. He complains that it’s hard to come up with a new drink name, and asks how they can authentically connect Dunkin’ and Ice Spice. Ice Spice then explains that she is a “Dunkin’ girl” and that her fanbase is called the Munchkins, hence the Ice Spice Munchkins drink. “We have something to offer everyone on our menu and I think Ben and Ice Spice both cover a wide audience that represents the diversity of our customers,” McVicar Nelson said. This isn’t the first time that Dunkin’ has sought to connect with younger fans. In 2020, the brand partnered with viral TikTok star Charli D’Amelio, naming a drink after her and collaborating on a merch line. There was also the “Wake Up and Make Up” makeup collaboration with e.l.f Cosmetics that tapped makeup influencer Mikayla Nogueira. The Munchkin drink ad is the third commercial that Affleck and his production company Artists Equity have done for Dunkin’. The first was the coffee and donut chain’s first Super Bowl ad, which starred Affleck and his wife Jennifer Lopez, in February. A second ad aired in April, with Affleck being mistaken for Matt Damon while in line. Artists Equity was Dunkin’s agency, production, and post-production company for the Ice Spice commercial, which was conceived and directed by Affleck, even though Leo Burnett is Dunkin’s agency of record. (It took over from Anomaly earlier this year.) “We work with a lot of different agency partners depending on our needs and messaging,” McVicar Nelson said. “We are still doing campaigns with Leo Burnett. When we launched our fall menu, they created the campaign and assets for that.” Artists Equity was chosen for the Ice Spice campaign because they have “a great understanding of pop culture and what resonates with customers,” she added. McVicar Nelson said there are no plans to change AORs. Ad Age Media Summit Hear from industry leaders during October event in NYC Register here The ad will run for several months, and the campaign for the drink will run on social media, digital, and out-of-home ads, including an activation at the Dunkin’ location Ice Spice grew up visiting in the Bronx. Ice Spice has garnered attention for working with fellow rappers Nicki Minaj and PinkPantheress. Two of her songs are currently on the Billboard Hot 100—“Deli” and “Princess Diana.” She is featured on the songs “Barbie World” with Nicki Minaj and Aqua, which was part of the “Barbie” movie, as well as the song “Boy’s a Liar Pt. 2” by PinkPanthress, which is popular on TikTok. Ice Spice is also featured on Taylor Swift’s “Karma.” Affleck and Damon founded Artists Equity after seeing how streaming services value quantity over quality when it came to content, which was disheartening for those behind the camera, often resulting in a lot of legwork for shows that didn’t get off the ground, or didn’t break through the sea of content viewers can choose from. Artists Equity incentivizes actors and those behind the camera by giving them a cut of the profit, allowing them to put their efforts into a project that has a higher chance of being successful.

Dunkin’ features Ben Affleck and Ice Spice in ad for new Munchkins drink

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