A new commercial has people talking about eugenics again, more than the actual product it’s selling.
On Tuesday, Dunkin’ launched a pair of new Refreshers to its menu. To introduce one of them — the Golden Hour Refresher — the brand partnered (again) with “The Summer I Turned Pretty” star Gavin Casalegno for a new video posted on social media.
“Look, I didn’t ask to be the king of summer, it just kinda happened,” Casalegno says at the start of the 35-second spot. “This tan? Genetics.”
Casalegno then talks about his color analysis “literally” coming back “golden summer” as he lounges by a pool with a Refresher in hand.
“Can’t help it — every time I drink a Golden Hour Refresher, it’s like the sun just finds me,” he says. “So if sipping these refreshers makes me the king of summer? Guilty as charged.”
Instead of being flooded with fans excited to try the new drinks, the ad’s comments section is full of people wondering why a certain word was used in the script.
“why are ads so obsessed with genetics all of a sudden,” asked one TikTok user — referencing Sydney Sweeney’s controversial American Eagle campaign — and they were far from the only one with that question.
“What in the Sydney Sweeney did I just watch,” asked one more.
Representatives for Casalegno and Dunkin’ did not immediately respond to TODAY.com’s request for comment.
The “Euphoria” actor’s campaign, which aims to sell the clothing company’s new denim line, is centered around the tagline “Sydney Sweeney has great jeans,” a double entendre critics say promotes the idea that Sweeney — blonde, blue eyed and white — is genetically superior.
A representative for Sweeney declined to comment to NBC News. American Eagle also did not respond to a request for comment.
