The Dunkin' Donuts Human Interest Commercial
Dunkin' Donuts has always been more homely than hip — the common man's Starbucks, the Everyman peddler of coffee and baked goods. So it comes as a delicious surprise that a new Dunkin Donuts commercial is edgier and more interesting than any Grande Soy Decaf Carmel Machiatto pandering.
In the new spot, a handful of Average Joes and Janes sing expressionlessly along to a They Might Be Giants song while ignoring human interest stories on television — and, of course, hurrying out the door to the nearest Dunkin' Donuts.
The basic message? Nothing should impede a quick trip to the ol' DD. Or, as the song's lyrics put it:
Human Interest Story, I won't look at you.
I have no time for you.
That beard of bees, it has no power over me.
I won't look at you.
I have no time for you.
Possibly even without realizing it, the commercial mocks the feel-good success of Starbucks, where each store offers the innocent coffee drinker a tour of touchy-feely mawkishness: Ethos water available, the Akeelah and the Bee soundtrack on sale, "helpful" community building bulletins on display. Starbucks isn't just a coffee shop, it's a provider of tips for (trendy) world-conscious living.
Dunkin' Donuts, on the other hand, is a shop that has exactly, and only, what you need: coffee and baked goods. With the They Might Be Giants song, Dunkin Donuts is reiterating its reputation as an alternative to the yuppie-centered coffee experience. And even though it isn't exactly hurting for business, this new commercial may recruit a whole new customer base to their stripped down (donut) shop — those not willing to pay higher prices just to get an extra shot of annoying sincerity with their coffee. And it's not such a bad thing. Because really, in the morning, is there ever time for human interest stories?
— Ceda Xiong (ceda dot xiong at gmail dot com)
