Dunkin’s ‘Shake That Ess’ campaign won Gold in Food and Beverage, Silver in Partnership or Collaboration, and Gold in Social Media at The Drum Awards for Marketing. The campaign aimed to launch Dunkin’s Shaken Espresso in a competitive market, leveraging celebrity partnership with Sabrina Carpenter to drive cultural relevance and social virality.
Dunkin’ faced the challenge of launching its Shaken Espresso in a category dominated by Starbucks, with a fraction of the media budget and no product differentiation. To succeed, the brand needed to capture a younger, pop-culture-savvy audience—primarily female Gen Z coffee drinkers—who see coffee brands as part of their identity. Instead of competing through traditional ad spend, Dunkin’ aimed to drive cultural relevance and social virality, making the campaign a conversation rather than just another promotion.
In order to be compulsively shareable by fans, the campaign’s creative execution was designed to be as authentic as possible. Sabrina Carpenter, known for her humor and charm, was at the center of the campaign, seamlessly blending her personal brand with Dunkin’s fun, slightly irreverent tone. The content leaned into pop culture humor, playing off her hit song "Espresso" while embracing an inside-joke energy that her fans love. Rather than feeling like a corporate endorsement, the campaign’s creative approach made it feel like a natural, self-aware extension of Sabrina’s personality—something that fans would not only engage with but also enthusiastically share.
The organic-first strategy, perfect for her audience, ensured that social media led the campaign’s success before any paid media was activated. Instead of relying on big-budget ad buys, Dunkin’ focused on bite-sized, viral-ready content optimized for Instagram Reels, TikTok, and Twitter/X. The initial teaser and launch spot were crafted to encourage engagement, with playful nods to Gen Z humor, allowing the campaign to spread organically. A key driver of engagement was real-time activation—Dunkin’ leveraged social listening to fuel rapid-response content, keeping fans engaged throughout launch week.
A strong earned media effort further boosted the campaign’s success. Prominent press outlets such as Rolling Stone, Billboard, and Business Insider covered the launch, praising its humor and cultural significance. Dunkin’s PR team ensured the partnership felt genuine, not transactional, positioning Sabrina as a true Dunkin’ fan rather than merely another celebrity endorsement. This contributed to over 12.7B+ earned media impressions and 835 placements, sustaining the conversation beyond social media.
Additionally, a limited-edition merchandise drop extended the campaign’s momentum. The first release of 250 Dunkin’ espresso shakers sold out in just 90 seconds, while a second release of 2,000 units sold out in 17 minutes—a testament to the campaign’s significant cultural impact.
The “Shake That Ess” campaign redefined how brands can leverage social media to create cultural impact and drive real business growth. Dunkin' outperformed its competitors by seamlessly blending celebrity influence, organic-first content, and strategic timing without needing to outspend them. This campaign broke records, sold out products, and reshaped category norms, proving that cultural influence can be more potent than media spending.
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