Dunkin’ Donuts is the latest brand caught in the culture war crosshairs after launching a new summer ad campaign featuring actor Gavin Casalegno — and drawing accusations of promoting “eugenics” and “racist dog whistles” from outraged progressive TikTok users.
The ad — reminiscent of American Eagle’s recent Sydney Sweeney campaign — shows the “Summer I Turned Pretty” star lounging poolside, shirt open, tan glowing.
“This tan? Genetics,” Casalegno says. “I just got my color analysis back. Guess what? Golden summer. Literally.”
The line — a clear wink at the “genes” wordplay controversy surrounding Sydney Sweeney’s “great jeans” ad — triggered a fresh wave of meltdown videos from left-wing TikTok influencers.
NEW: Dunkin’ appears to release its own version of the American Eagle ad featuring actor Gavin Casalegno.
The Dallas, Texas-born model was heard talking about his “genes,” similar to the American Eagle ad.
“Look, I didn’t ask to be the king of summer. It just kind of… pic.twitter.com/kUzxNvB1Wp
— Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) July 30, 2025
TikTok Erupts: “Eugenics-Based Ad”
Multiple TikTok users accused the ad of subtly promoting racial superiority, despite the clear marketing focus on summer aesthetics and humor.
“Another eugenics-based ad,” one user declared, calling Dunkin’s iced coffee “nasty watery never consistent shyt” and claiming the company had learned nothing from the Sydney Sweeney controversy.
Another user posted, “Now we’re making an ad calling out genes and saying these are the perfect genes… and it’s these white people who have the perfect genes.”
Right-Wing Reaction: Mockery and Memes
Conservatives quickly pounced on the outrage, with many mocking the “nose ring gang” for overreacting to a coffee ad.
“OMG, now the liberal snowflakes are being triggered by a Dunkin’ Donuts commercial,” one user posted with laughing emojis.
Donald Trump Jr., who had previously praised American Eagle for “not backing down to the woke mob,” reposted commentary defending Dunkin’ as well.
Manufactured Controversy or Coordinated Messaging?
Critics on the right say the controversy is contrived and performative, part of a broader trend of outrage over mainstream branding that doesn’t cater to left-wing identity politics.
Some even suggested the outrage may boost Dunkin’s visibility — following the same viral trajectory as American Eagle’s “great jeans” ad, which saw sales spike amid the backlash.
No Official Response from Dunkin’ — Yet
As of Friday morning, Dunkin’ has not commented publicly on the criticism. The ad continues to run primarily on TikTok and Instagram, aimed at Gen Z and millennial consumers.
Given American Eagle’s refusal to apologize for their Sweeney campaign — and the praise they received for standing firm — many believe Dunkin’ will take the same no-apologies approach.
