Forget American Eagle. Now Dunkin's Got an Ad Flap on Its Hands

What's with brands and genetics this summer?

Looks are more than skin deep for brands this summer, as another campaign comes under fire for praising traditional (white, Euro-centric) notions of beauty.

Of course, the American Eagle-Sydney Sweeney “jeans/genes” flap continues to rock headlines. Now, Dunkin’ joins the fray, generating pushback across the interwebs for its “King of Summer” commercial.

Gavin Casalengo stars, poolside, spouting lines like, “This tan? Genetics! I just got my color analysis back and guess what? Golden summer!”

It’s nowhere near as cringey as AE, but still an oddly tone-deaf approach. Mostly, both efforts feel stupid. Lowest common denominator stuff. First drafts from creative teams eager to head out early on a sunny afternoon.

Why mention generics anyway? Why go there ? Skin tone (Gavin), eye and hair color (Sydney) … was no one in the room to raise a red flag about the potential for controversy? This holds especially for Sweeney’s spot. Casalengo’s clip probably seemed harmless. But still.

Oddly, Dunkin’ went the handsome hunk route with Hollywood stars a few months back, but with a cheekier tone and satirical self awareness.

Maybe the current commotion says something deeper about the evolving zeitgeist. Since Trump regained the White House, the nation’s taken a disturbingly conservative turn. Many folks feel increasingly dismayed, scared, powerless and unfairly judged, often based on physical attributes.

Viewed through that lens, the hoo-ha over AE and Dunkin’ might indicate a media course correction. Marketers better face the facts: These tired tropes aren’t a good look.