Don't kill our hearts, Ben Affleck.
The two-time Oscar winner, embracing his memorable glory as a Dunkin' brand pop star in the donut vendor's ad campaign, took a page from Beyoncé's Super Bowl playbook and released the new music. Or in this case, the song inspired by the DunKings boy band.
Dunkin' on Wednesday released the lyric video for “Don't Dunk Away at My Heart (The DunKings)” on streaming services, including YouTube and Spotify, with “Affleck” on the track. So if you liked the “Argo” and “Air” filmmaker’s persona as an aspiring recording artist, the repetitive three-minute audio confection won’t disappoint. And just in time for Valentine's Day.
“The DunKings offer a sonic solution to calm your hearts, minds and ears,” the song's description reads. “They are going to sing about love. They're going to sing about Dunkin'. And they will do it in a way that will have you repeating their songs to listen to them back to back while you drink and eat a Dunkin'.”
Affleck, 51, a longtime fan of the quick-service restaurant chain, appeared in a campaign last year in which he went through a drive-thru. This time, he combined his “sadfleck” memes and his love of iced coffee for the brand. The self-aware (and seemingly brash) actor reteamed with wife Jennifer Lopez for the spot, as well as collaborator Matt Damon, NFL star and Boston legend Tom Brady, rappers Jack Harlow and Fat Joe, TikToker Charli D'Amelio and several others in this year's viral campaign.
The campaign was produced by Artists Equity, the creative studio co-founded by Affleck, Damon and Gerry Cardinale of RedBird Capital Partners. The artist-run studio served as the brand's creative, production and post-production agency for the campaign.
The commercials are the latest installment of the “Dunkin' Cinematic Universe,” which launched last year when Dunkin's number one fan (Affleck) realized his potential by working at a drive-thru and serving his wife during the first ad for Dunkin'. the brand in the Super Bowl. That “universe” has continued to expand: Another ad in April showed Affleck being mistaken for Damon while doing a Dunkin' run, and another last fall featured a collaboration with Ice Spice.
Sure, they're now selling donuts, coffee, and an Affleck-approved limited-time menu, but it's the merchandise, specifically The band's flashy orange tracksuits. — that seems to be the most coveted (get ready for a Dunkin'-inspired Halloween, folks). The DunKings-embellished track jacket and sweatpants (which retail for $60 each) have sold out, as has the matching pink bucket hat.
“There is no way to watch this campaign and its many outtakes, try The DunKings Iced Coffee with the fun Munchkins spike, or wear the pink and orange tracksuits without smiling. That's the genuine, joyful connection we want people to feel when they think about Dunkin',” Jill McVicar Nelson, Dunkin' chief marketing officer, said in a statement.
“You can chase your dreams, aim high and laugh while you do it, all as part of the Dunkin' family. Dunkin' fuels your passions, no matter how ambitious or extravagant they may seem,” she added.
Given the warm reception to the silly stunt, Dunkin' felt compelled to release Affleck's two-part ad as a theatrical film days after BLo appeared in Lopez's studio as “the Boston Massacre” on Super Bowl Sunday. (The first part, “Popstar,” was released during the Grammy Awards earlier this month, taking advantage of the moment when the actor looked “miserable” at the 2023 awards show as Lopez's date.)
A spokesperson for Affleck was not immediately available for comment when contacted by The Times on Wednesday.
Meanwhile, Damon, Affleck's best friend for “many, many years,” told Stephen Colbert on Tuesday that the DunKings were “clearly not my idea” and explained where his friendship with Affleck stood following their inclusion. in the ad.
“I like it at the end you say [to Affleck], 'Remember how I said I would do anything for you? This is anything. That’s what you say at the end of the ad,” the “Late Show” host told the “Oppenheimer” star.
“And I actually told him that when we were filming,” Damon said, laughing. “And he just left it there.”
“In other words, when I said I gave you a chip that means I'd do anything for you, you just burned it in an ad,” Colbert joked.
“Because you know, no matter how much time we have [left] On this beautiful planet, he no longer has a chip on me,” Damon joked.
Former Patriots quarterback Brady, who was the only DunKing Lopez approved of in the ad, also addressed his involvement in the promotional ad.
“It was fun,” the seven-time Super Bowl champion said on Monday’s season finale of “Let’s Go! with Tom Brady, Larry Fitzgerald and Jim Gray on the SiriusXM Podcast.”
“You never thought that in my second career I would be a Donut DJ, right? I will continue to surprise you guys! he added.
As BLo would say, underestimate Boston at your own peril.
