Issue #47: Brand Bite of the Week

My very first Sunday edition is here and we're talking about shaking that ess'.

Jan 05, 2025

Hi everyone and happy Sunday. I’m going back to work tomorrow after being on PTO for two and a half weeks, and I’m having major Sunday Scaries about it. Please share any suggestions for dealing with them!!

Anyway, it’s my first Brand Bite of the Week, my weekly Sunday edition where I’ll be unpacking an interesting brand moment from the previous week. I’ll be breaking down a campaign, stunt, trend, or post, then talking about what worked well or what didn’t work so well, and finally sharing what we can take away from it. It’s short, it’s sweet, and it’s hopefully helpful as you head into the week.

Let’s dive in!

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Brand Bite of the Week: Shake that Ess’ ☕️

On Dec. 31st, Dunkin’ launched a new campaign in partnership with Sabrina Carpenter called Shake that Ess’, aligning the iconic coffee brand with the pop star of the moment and introducing their limited-time partnership drink, Sabrina’s Brown Sugar Shakin’ Espresso.

What Worked

Honestly, it’s surprising that Dunkin’ hasn’t done a collab with Sabrina yet. The partnership and campaign concept feels spot-on for both Sabrina and Dunkin’ – it’s cute, playful, and cheeky.

Dunkin’ is known for having fun with their marketing. They partnered with Ice Spice last year and launched a ‘Dunkin’Terns’ series featuring Will Arnett and Corporate Natalie over the summer. By partnering with Gen Z stars and imbuing a lot of fun, levity, and joy in their creative, it’s no secret that Dunkin’ is attempting to target younger audiences with their marketing.

And What Didn’t Work

It is worth noting that Starbucks has a brown sugar shaken espresso that’s super similar. But this is Sabrina Carpenter’s iced brown sugar shaken espresso, so that’s that.

What We Can Learn?

Much like Crumbl, Dunkin’s products are naturally quite shareable on social media, as there’s a low barrier to trying the product (since an iced coffee requires a relatively low investment… plus a lot of people drink coffee on a daily basis). So when Dunkin’ announces an exciting new limited-edition item, customers are quick to post taste test videos on social.

Plus, when those drinks are created in collaboration with Gen Z-favorite celebrities like Sabrina, Dunkin’ generates even more buzz and excitement around new products. With an end goal of driving UGC and social sharing, it makes a ton of sense for Dunkin’ – as well as other CPG/F&B brands – to lean into limited-edition item releases and buzzy celeb partnerships like this one.

Alright, that’s all for now! Thanks for tuning in for the first Brand Bite. If you like this format or if you have any feedback, do let me know! And I’ll see you on Thursday for business-as-usual programming. xx