Just days after American Eagle’s “great jeans” campaign featuring Sydney Sweeney was called out for promoting Eurocentric beauty ideals, Dunkin’ is facing similar criticism for its latest ad.
The coffee and beverage chain recently rolled out a campaign for its Golden Hour Refresher, featuring American actor Gavin Casalegno, best known for his role in The Summer I Turned Pretty.
In the 35-second spot, Casalegno says:
“I didn’t ask to be the king of summer, it just kind of happened. Must be the tan… genetics. I just got my color analysis back and guess what? Golden summer. Every time I drink a Dunkin' Golden Hour Refresher, it's like the sun just finds me.”
Casalegno seems to attribute his summer glow to “genetics,” echoing a similar beauty-coded narrative that drew flak in the Sweeney campaign. He is seen promoting Dunkin’s limited-edition summer drink range.
The internet was quick to react.
"Why are ads so obsessed with genetics all of a sudden?" one viewer commented.
"What in the Sydney Sweeney did I just watch?" another wrote.
Others, meanwhile, poked fun at what they saw as overblown outrage.
From "great jeans" to "golden glow," the internet isn't just reacting to ads, it’s reframing the conversation around beauty and belonging.
/afaqs/media/agency_attachments/2024-10-10t065829449z-afaqs_640x480.png)
/afaqs/media/member_avatars/b19bc90752f22463c21493ea40ad04dd26b32ea4045d163717734c0181e00e52.png )
Follow Us/afaqs/media/media_files/2025/08/01/dunkin-donuts-2025-08-01-14-17-02.png)
/afaqs/media/media_files/2025/07/31/airtel-perplexity2025-ticker-2025-07-31-13-42-41.jpeg)