Brothers Ben and Casey Affleck Suit Up to Tout Dunkin’
Spoiler alert: Actor-writer-director Ben Affleck and his actor-brother Casey will star in Dunkin’s Super Bowl 2025 ad. They’ll be part of the ad action of Super Bowl LIX, which starts at 6:30 p.m. Eastern Time on Sunday. Fox television stations will carry the game live, and its free Tubi streaming service will also show the game – and the commercials, of course.
As if the Affleck bros weren’t enough, they’re joined by a fellow actor from Boston, Jeremy Strong, in their Dunkin’ performance. Known for his Emmy-winning role in the drama Succession, Strong takes a lighter turn in the Dunkin’ ad. He’s submerged inside a vat of coffee beans to get into character for his role with the coffee-and-doughnut brand, Entertainment Weekly reported. The trio of actors also headlines in the ad’s teaser, a video clip that debuted during last Sunday’s Grammy Awards presentations.
Afflecks’ Past Ties to Dunkin’
Affleck, a Hollywood A-lister who won acclaim for on-screen and behind-the-scenes contributions to hit movies such as Argo and Good Will Hunting, reprises his 2024 Super Bowl ad role as a performer in the DunKings band. And, yes, that includes his donning of the signature DunKings tracksuit in the fast-food brand’s trademark orange. (Ben Affleck’s lifelong friend and sometime-collaborator Matt Damon appeared in that 2024 ad, too.)
Younger brother Casey Affleck also has past ties to the Dunkin’ brand. Eight-plus years ago, he performed a parody of a Dunkin’ Donuts commercial on Saturday Night Live. In that skit, his role was to be a grumbling, cranky Dunkin’ Donuts customer amid a group of amiable patrons. Comedically referring to himself as the mayor of Dunkin’, he seemed to be smoking – in the no-smoking restaurant – as part of his disruptive, disagreeable actions and dialogue.
Other Fast-Food Advertisers
Dunkin’ is one of three fast-food franchises buying Super Bowl 2025 ads, and all are expected to showcase celebrities in their TV spots. Use of VIP talent has long proved effective in television commercials, and it was a go-to tactic for advertisers during Super Bowl 2024.
This year, Little Caesars plans to promote its popular Crazy Puffs menu item, and one or more celebrities are expected to appear during its 30-second spot. An executive for the pizza franchise initially did not name-drop who was tapped for its commercial, which is the first Super Bowl ad for the brand since 2020. But Dailymotion has a teaser showing Eugene Levy as pitchman.
CNN recently revealed that Taco Bell’s Super Bowl 2025 ad will feature rapper-songwriter-record producer Doja Cat. She photo-bombs Taco Bell customers in the commercial, which also features select patrons who posed for cameras in drive-through lanes last year. YouTube has a teaser for that ad, as does ispot.tv. This Super Bowl ad will be Taco Bell’s first in three years.
Ads Have Their Own Fan Base
The game aside, Super Bowl ads attract a fan following all by themselves. An Ipsos survey conducted in December and cited by Forbes found that nearly 80% of viewers say they watch the commercials; about one quarter of viewers told Ipsos researchers that they “attentively” watch the ads. The poll also revealed that 11% of Super Bowl viewers primarily tune in to see the commercials.
Fast-food brands have often advertised during Super Bowl broadcasts as a way to get in front of many captive eyeballs at once. More than 200 million people are expected to catch this year’s game, according to Forbes.
The Fox network announced last fall that it had sold all ad positions for Super Bowl LIX, long before the contestants were known. As determined Jan. 26, the Kansas City Chiefs, who are going for their third consecutive NFL championship, will square off against the Philadelphia Eagles. Their venue is the New Orleans Superdome.
Cost of 2025 Super Bowl Ads
Advertising at this year’s game doesn’t come cheap. A 30-second Super Bowl 2025 ad had been widely reported to cost about $7 million, the same as for the 2024 contest. But according to Forbes, some Super Bowl commercials cost closer to $8 million. Beer brands, snack food manufacturers, soft drinks, tech companies, food delivery services and travel companies are among other advertisers paying to play during the big game, Forbes noted in its article.
