Fans Roast Dunkin’ Ad But Still Thirst Over Gavin Casalegno

Gavin Casalegno may be a certified teen heartthrob thanks to his role in “The Summer I Turned Pretty,” but his latest Dunkin’ ad has some fans buzzing for the wrong reasons.

The actor stars in a new Dunkin’ spot promoting the chain’s Golden Hour Refresher, tying in his beachy image with a line about his enviable tan.

In the commercial, Casalegno jokes:

“Look, I didn’t ask to be the king of summer. It just kind of happened. This tan? Genetics. I just got my color analysis back. Guess what? Golden summer. Literally.”

The playful spot was reportedly part of a cross-promotion with “The Summer I Turned Pretty,” where Casalegno plays Jeremiah Fisher. But while some fans swooned over the actor’s signature charm, others weren’t impressed, especially with the ad’s repeated use of the word genetics.

The backlash comes on the heels of American Eagle’s “Sydney Sweeney Has Great Jeans” campaign, which drew heavy criticism for its wordplay around Sweeney’s “genes/jeans.” That ad sparked conversations around eugenics, colorism, and how marketing leans into certain racialized ideals of beauty.

Dunkin’s ad has now found itself under similar scrutiny, with critics questioning the decision to highlight Casalegno’s tan and genetics as part of the campaign’s humor. Some online users linked the messaging to “long-standing beauty standards rooted in whiteness,” noting how the phrase “color analysis” already carries connotations tied to skin tone trends.

“There is nothing wrong with being proud of your roots or genetics. But for some reason, this ad misses the mark for me,” one X user wrote. “It may inadvertently reduce white men’s experiences to privilege, erasing the personal effort and real struggles they face.”

They added, “The message feels like it is saying they are just born with everything handed to them. But many men, white men included, are struggling silently in a world that does not always see or acknowledge their pain. Success and comfort are not inherited. They are earned.”

Others couldn’t help but call the ad “cringe” and “embarrassing.”

“What’s up with these creepy ads lately?” someone wrote on X.

“This literally makes me not want Dunkin,” another wrote. “Even without racism it’s just so cringe.”

“lol creepy ad,” someone responded.

But, of course, several social media users ignored the fact that the ad was for Dunkin’, and instead, focused on the “hearthrob” actor.

“Damn. If I were 16, he’d be up on my wall,” one user said.

“I’d dunk my donuts in him,” someone else joked.

“He looks like an OnlyFans model,” a third claimed, adding a heart-eye emoji.

Outside of the Dunkin’ controversy, Casalegno is still giving fans plenty to swoon over. Just weeks before the ad dropped, the “Summer I Turned Pretty” star shared a shirtless snap from Thailand, lounging on a swing with a dog by his side.

“The 7 11 runs are my favorite,” he cheekily captioned the photo, which quickly racked up nearly 705,000 likes.

Friends and fans piled into the comments, with co-star Lana Condor leaving a string of fire emojis, Prime Video chiming in with “summer vibes present and accounted for,” and Anthony De La Torre declaring, “Que dreamy!!”

Of course, Casalegno’s appeal isn’t limited to Thailand.

Earlier this year, he shared a snap from Hawaii, posing shirtless with a neon surfboard and cheekily captioning it, “Perfect views.” The post quickly drew over 560,000 likes and a flood of thirsty comments.

“Our favorite golden retriever always feeding us with amazing content,” one fan wrote, while another joked, “Yes, you are the view.”

The beachside photo only solidified Casalegno’s status as the internet’s summer heartthrob.