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