Social Media Stirred Once Again by Dunkin' Adverting Genetic Themes, Following Previous Controversy with Sydney Sweeney Advertisement
In the realm of advertising, two recent campaigns have sparked a wave of controversy and accusations of eugenics. The ads in question feature influencers Gavin Casalegno and Sydney Sweeney, and their focus on the word "genetics" has raised eyebrows.
The Dunkin' Donuts ad, which showcases Casalegno holding a Dunkin' Golden Hour Refresher beverage, has caused a stir on social media. In the ad, Casalegno refers to himself as the "king of summer" and attributes his tan and the impact of the drink on him to his genetics. This focus on genetics has not gone unnoticed, with TikTok users criticizing the ad for its emphasis on inherited traits. One user, "Haven," even received over 40,000 likes for a comment about the ad and genetics.
The controversy surrounding the Dunkin' Donuts ad has been compared to the controversy surrounding Sydney Sweeney's recent American Eagle ad. The American Eagle ad campaign used a double entendre between "great jeans" (clothing) and having "good genes" (hereditary traits), leading some to question if the campaign was promoting "Whiteness" or concepts linked to the eugenics movement. Sweeney’s appearance, representative of Eurocentric beauty standards, intensified these concerns, given that American eugenics historically prized such traits as indicators of "genetic purity."
The comparisons between the two ads have not been lost on critics. They argue that these ads unintentionally evoke the legacy of eugenics by emphasizing inherited physical traits, which echoes early 20th-century eugenics ideology that promoted "desirable" heritable characteristics, often tied to whiteness or Nordic features.
The historical associations between eugenics and genetics linger culturally and politically, despite the movement being widely discredited after being associated with horrific policies and genocide during the Nazi era. The casual references to genetics and inherited physical traits in these ads have reminded some viewers of the dark history of eugenics, which linked genetics to social and racial purity—an issue still highly sensitive due to its unethical scientific and political abuses.
The controversy has led some to express their intention to boycott both Dunkin' Donuts and American Eagle. One user stated, "I'll never have Dunkin' Donuts again," while another compared Dunkin' Donuts to Starbucks, suggesting they would also boycott both companies.
The conversation around these ads has extended to traditional media outlets and commentators. On ABC's "GMA First Look," Kean University professor Robin Landa linked Sweeney's "good jeans" to the eugenics movement, while MSNBC producer Hanna Holland wrote in an MSNBC.com column that the advertisement and Sweeney's role in it reflect a cultural shift toward Whiteness, conservatism, and capitalist exploitation.
The controversy surrounding these ads serves as a reminder of the power of language and the importance of considering historical context when crafting advertising campaigns. For many, these ads touch on themes related to genetics, but fail to acknowledge or sufficiently distance themselves from the troubling historical eugenics movement connected to race, heredity, and discrimination.
- Conversations about the Dunkin' Donuts ad and its focus on genetics have spread beyond social media, reaching traditional media outlets like ABC's "GMA First Look."
- The emphasis on inherited physical traits in the American Eagle ad, as well as the Dunkin' Donuts ad featuring Gavin Casalegno, has sparked debates about pop-culture's role in perpetuating social-media trends that could unintentionally evoke eugenics, promoting certain racial or ethnic ideologies.
