Dunkin’s “Shake that ess”

Welcome to the AdMiration newsletter! Each week we analyze new and noteworthy ads to give you our 3-2-1 snapshot of the ad (3 facts, 2 learnings and 1 reflection).

This week’s ad: “Shake that ess”???

To capitalize on Sabrina Carpenter's massive hit song “Espresso,” Dunkin’ partnered with the artist for a collab promoting “Sabrina’s Brown Sugar Shakin’ Espresso” — a limited-time, handcrafted iced beverage combining Dunkin’s bold espresso, brown sugar notes and oatmilk.

Leveraging her reputation for enjoying innuendo, this ad features Sabrina “shaking that ess” to promote the espresso-based drink.?

The ad opens to Sabrina Carpenter shaking up some coffee in what appears to be a high-end Dunkin’ club as she says, “I love shakin’ that ess.” Another woman appears next to Sabrina and tells her, “You’re really good at shakin’ that ess!” Sabrina responds, “I’ve been shakin’ that ess for hours. You should try it.” The camera pans to multiple different funny characters who proclaim that they are “shaking that ess.”?

The scene returns to Sabrina who, in sudden realization, laughs and says, “Oh, shake that ess kinda sounds like shake that a**!”?

The ad concludes with a shot of Dunkin’s new Brown Sugar Shakin’ Espresso with a lipstick mark on the cup alongside the phrase: Sabrina’s Brown Sugar Shakin’ Espresso, only at Dunkin’.

3 facts

• The ad scored high in potential to drive short term sales, landing in the top 20% of all ads, and above average potential to build the brand into the longer term.

• The ad is highly distinctive and really captures attention, resulting in significantly more people than average watching the entire ad (93%).?
• People know it’s an ad for Dunkin with 76% being able to spontaneously recall the brand having watched the ad within programming and within a reel of ads (versus a norm of 68%).

2 learnings

• Celebrities tend to have core demographics they appeal to — and this can often influence how the ad is received. In this case, while the ad is still successful across all age groups, it is far stronger among those under 46.

• Even when a celebrity is present, it’s important to remember that the other characters in the ad still have a role to play in the story. In this ad, 18% of people talk about liking the characters — and many refer not just to Sabrina but to the roles of the other characters.

1 reflection

Are you ensuring that your brand benefits from the use of a celebrity versus simply adding to their fame? This is critical, especially leading up to the Super Bowl, where we see many examples of celebrities being used — but without people seeing a clear connection to the brand.?

Celebrities can be a great asset, but only if you choose the right ones and ensure they tell a relevant story for your brand.

For more data & analysis

There’s a lot more to say about this ad!

Go to the Zappi blog for a more detailed look at this ad’s performance — including more on what audiences liked about the ad.

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Until next week,

Kim Malcolm