Annika Welander, CEO, Someoddpilot:
This felt like an episode of The Rehearsal, but without any of the risk. It takes the absurdist cringe energy of Nathan Fielder and Tim Robinson and mainstreams the danger out of it, swapping tension for a 100% approval rating via a lineup of beloved ’90s TV stars.
High fives all around for securing that mix of celebrity talent. It’s genuinely fun to see faces from childhood (very TGIF!), and it’ll clearly earn a ton of coverage… But in terms of what it actually advances for the Dunkin’ brand, it feels like snacking out of the chip bowl all game: lots of tiny dopamine hits, zero nutritional brand value, and you feel a little sick afterward.
This spot makes me feel like the industry may have reached the natural endpoint of referential celebrity cameos, where campaigns turn inward and brands realize they’re paying to advertise old marketing assets instead of their coffee, donuts, or values. But hey, brands are hiring Heads of Entertainment now, so maybe we’ll all be tuning into an Artists Equity x Dunkin’ Netflix movie soon.
