The archive · Advertising · Marketing decision · 2023–2024
Dunkin' wins the iced-coffee shake debate and reverses its declining Iced sales
Dunkin' championed the people who shake their iced coffee — and became the most talked-about iced coffee of summer with 16 straight weeks of sales lifts.
Dunkin'
What it had to solve
Dunkin', the pioneer of iced coffee, faced fierce competitors moving in on its leadership position as its iced business declined. Shaking an iced coffee draws eye-rolls and mockery, but the behavior sits at the center of a genuinely heated cultural debate — and Dunkin' chose to take the shakers' side.
How it works
Dunkin' pioneered the mainstream iced-coffee business, but by 2023 competitors were closing in and its iced sales were falling. The behavior at the center of the category — shaking your iced coffee — drew eye-rolls and mockery, yet it also sparked a genuinely heated cultural debate.
Rather than avoiding the argument, Dunkin' took the shakers' side. Leo Burnett Chicago built the 'Iced' creative platform around the gesture: an anthem film called 'Do Your Thing' became the brand's song of summer, still photography revolved around the shake, and in-restaurant displays pushed Iced Coffee, Cold Brew and Refreshers into the key paths of the store.
The idea turned a mocked habit into brand momentum. Dunkin' became the most talked-about iced coffee of the summer, recorded 16 consecutive weeks of sales lifts, and reversed the decline in its iced business. Effie Awards US 2024 gave the work two Silvers and a Bronze, and the WARC Awards for Effectiveness gave it Silver — evidence that championing a behavior, not running from it, can sell the product.
Why it lands
- Shaking iced coffee is a real, polarizing behavior millions perform, so championing it felt true rather than manufactured.
- Taking the shakers' side turned an eye-roll debate into conversation in which Dunkin' was the topic, not just the advertiser.
- The same gesture ran through film, photography, media and store displays, so one idea carried the whole summer.
- The creative stayed on the product — the drama of the drink itself — which kept the campaign credible while it sold.
What it did
Dunkin' became the most talked-about iced coffee of the summer, fueled 16 consecutive weeks of sales lifts and reversed the downward trend in its iced business. Effie Awards US 2024 gave the work Silver in Restaurants and in Seasonal Marketing plus Bronze in Youth Marketing, and the WARC Awards for Effectiveness gave it Silver.
What you can take
Find the behavior people mock about your product and champion it: siding with the shakers turned a category debate into momentum and made Dunkin' the enthusiast rather than the defender.
Since then
Effie Awards US 2024 filed the work under three winners — Silver in Restaurants, Silver in Seasonal Marketing – Services and Bronze in Youth Marketing – Services — and the WARC Awards for Effectiveness gave it a Silver in May 2024. The case became a reference for converting a cultural debate into measured sales momentum: 16 consecutive weeks of lifts and a reversal of the decline, with the creative platform credited to Leo Burnett Chicago and integrated partners.
Sources
- 2024 Effie Wins for Dunkin' and Kraft Heinz
- Dunkin' Shakes Things Up with 'Iced' Creative Platform from Leo Burnett Chicago
- Dunkin': Winning a heated debate with ice
spotted an error? The archive wants to know.
Your turn
You just read one. Describe the brief you are staring at, and see who has been given the same problem.
Free account · 3 free questions · no card