Starbucks and Dunkin' bet on influencers to sell new drinks
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Starbucks released a new limited-time Refresher Wednesday tied to YouTube megastar MrBeast's Beast Games franchise. Photo: Courtesy of Starbucks
Starbucks and Dunkin' are both tapping star power to help sell their newest drinks.
Why it matters: Celebrity collabs aren't new — but the names are changing. As consumer attention splinters, brands are betting that creators with loyal, highly engaged fan bases will drive real-world purchases.
The big picture: Starbucks launched the Cannon Ball Wednesday, a limited-time Refresher tied to YouTube star MrBeast and his Prime Video competition series, Beast Games.
- The Cannon Ball is a lemonade-based Starbucks Refresher that blends Strawberry Açaí and Mango Dragonfruit flavors, topped with dried fruit inclusions. It was created on set during filming and is designed to mirror a challenge featured in the show.
- Dunkin' recently partnered with Megan Thee Stallion to promote protein-forward drinks, including a Mango Protein Refresher created with the artist.
- Both brands' launches center on Refreshers-style drinks, a visually driven category built for customization and social sharing.
Zoom out: These kinds of star-powered launches have become more common across food and beverage. What's changing is the emphasis on reach and engagement, not just name recognition.
- Creators and artists bring massive online followings and direct relationships with fans — something brands see as increasingly valuable as traditional advertising loses impact.
- Starbucks is leaning directly on fans, turning customer feedback and TikTok trends into an evolving secret menu as part of a broader push toward co-creation.
Between the lines: Food chains have leaned on celebrity tie-ins before. Most notably, McDonald's drove traffic and viral buzz with its celebrity meal strategy, from Travis Scott to broader pop-culture tie-ins like McDonaldland characters and The Grinch.
- Those launches showed how limited-time items tied to devoted fan bases could spark lines, shortages and sustained social chatter.
What we're watching: Whether creator-driven drink launches can deliver sustained sales — or if the impact fades once the initial buzz wears off.
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