Dunkin' Donuts Genetics Ad Backlash Explained: Connection to Sydney Sweeney's American Eagle Campaign, Eugenics Controversy & Social Media Outrage

Key Takeaways

• Dunkin’s new ad featuring Gavin Casalegno credits his “golden summer” tan to “genetics,” sparking immediate backlash on social media .
• Critics connect the ad to American Eagle’s recent “great jeans/genes” campaign with Sydney Sweeney, accusing both of echoing eugenics rhetoric .
• TikTok and Instagram comments show users vowing to boycott Dunkin’, with one genetics-related remark gaining 40,000+ likes .
• A professor on Good Morning America tied the trend to the American eugenics movement (1900–1940), calling such puns “troubling” .
• Neither Dunkin’ nor Casalegno responded to criticism, amplifying accusations of tone-deaf marketing .

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The Ad: Golden Hour, Genetic Luck

Gavin Casalegno lounges poolside. He holds a Dunkin’ Golden Hour Refresher, yellowish-orange, sweating in the sun. “King of Summer,” he calls himself. A smirk. “This tan? Genetics.” He mentions a color analysis: “Golden summer. Literally.” The ad runs 35 seconds. Casalegno sips the drink. Claims the sun “finds him” when he drinks it. Dunkin’ posted it July 29. TikTok views hit 1.8 million in days .

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Sydney Sweeney’s Shadow: A Eugenics Echo

Timing bled into this. Days earlier, American Eagle dropped its Sydney Sweeney campaign. Tagline: “Great jeans.” She overwrites “genes” with “jeans” on a billboard. In one spot, she buttons denim while deadpanning: “Genes determine traits like hair color, personality, and eye color. My jeans are blue.” Critics called it a dog whistle. MSNBC linked it to “whiteness, conservatism, capitalist exploitation.” Then Dunkin’ echoed “genetics.” Social media connected the dots, two pale-skinned stars, two genetic boasts .

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Social Media: Boycotts and Confusion

TikTok comments piled like wreckage:

“Why are ads so obsessed with genetics all of a sudden?” (28,000 likes)
“What in the Sydney Sweeney did I just watch?”
“So no American Eagle or Dunkin’, got it.” (2,000 likes)

Instagram turned brutal. One user wrote: “This ad ensures I’ll never go to Dunkin’ again.” Others mocked the logic: “What does a drink have to do with genetics???” . Reddit’s r/Fauxmoi tore into the ad’s timing: “Do marketing teams employ anyone of color?” Another added: “Eugenics seems in this summer” .

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Boycott Threats: Coffee and Denim Collide

The backlash crystallized fast. Dunkin’s TikTok comment section became a referendum. Users tagged Starbucks as their new caffeine fix. Others paired Dunkin’ and American Eagle as boycott targets. One tweet summed it: “Feeling cute. Gonna buy me some wide-leg jeans from @AEO and grab coffee from @dunkindonuts” . Defenders called the outrage manufactured: “It’s denim and donuts, not a manifesto.” Too late. The brands bled online .

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Academia Weighs In: Eugenics and Advertising

Good Morning America booked Dr. Robin Landa. Kean University professor. She dissected Sweeney’s “good jeans” pun: “It activates troubling historical associations. The American eugenics movement weaponized ‘good genes’ to justify white supremacism.” She dated it: 1900–1940. Dunkin’ avoided wordplay but kept the trigger word. Landa’s segment framed both ads as reckless. MSNBC’s Hanna Holland had already blasted Sweeney’s campaign as “unbridled cultural shift toward Whiteness” .

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Reddit’s Verdict: Tone-Deaf and Clunky

Beyond outrage, Reddit mocked the ad’s incompetence. r/Fauxmoi users called it “a horrible ad.” One sneered: “The name ‘Golden Hour Refresher’ evokes piss more than fruit.” Others slammed Casalegno’s delivery: “Who is this rando announcing himself king of summer?” Critiques noted the script’s dissonance, genetics to beverages, zero connective tissue. Then the actor’s rumored politics resurfaced: “Isn’t Gavin a huge right-winger?” Posts recirculated his alleged MAGA-linked Instagram likes .

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Brand Silence: No Apologies, No Explanations

Dunkin’ froze. No statement to Fox News, ADWEEK, or Boston.com. Gavin Casalegno ignored requests from TODAY.com and Sportskeeda. American Eagle also stayed mute after its firestorm. The silence fueled theories: Were these intentional provocations? Or had marketing teams truly missed the historical weight? Social media users speculated, was Dunkin’ trolling? Or just oblivious? .

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The Bigger Picture: Advertising’s Genetic Obsession

Two brands. One week. Same trigger word. Critics saw a pattern: both actors fit a “golden” ideal, light eyes, light skin. Dunkin’ spotlighted Casalegno’s “bronzed” tone; American Eagle zoomed in on Sweeney’s blue eyes. The ads framed genetics as glamorous, inheritable. In 2025’s divisive climate, it stung. Distractify nailed it: “Why would donut or clothing companies mention genetics? Unless it’s a dog whistle.” For consumers, the takeaway was grim: brands either courted controversy or truly didn’t care .

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Frequently Asked Questions

What did Gavin Casalegno say in the Dunkin’ ad?

He called himself “King of Summer,” crediting his tan to “genetics” after a “golden summer” color analysis. He claimed drinking the Golden Hour Refresher made “the sun find him” .

How is this related to Sydney Sweeney’s American Eagle ad?

Sweeney’s campaign used “great jeans” as a pun for “genes,” discussing inherited traits. Both ads dropped days apart, featuring light-skinned stars flaunting genetics, igniting accusations of eugenics glorification .

Did Dunkin’ respond to the backlash?

No. The brand ignored media requests from Fox News, ADWEEK, Boston.com, and others. Casalegno also stayed silent .

Are people boycotting Dunkin’?

Yes. Social media shows users swearing off Dunkin’ and American Eagle, with some switching to Starbucks. Comments like “I’ll never have Dunkin’ Donuts again” went viral .

What’s “color analysis”?

A beauty trend determining which colors flatter one’s skin tone. Casalegno’s “golden summer” result aligned with the drink’s name, and his tanned look .