- Campaign Name: Dunkin' x E.L.F. Cosmetics Collaboration
- Timeframe: Launched March 31, 2022
- Core Strategy: Both brands positioned as "community-centric" and "disruptors" offering affordable products targeting Gen Z audience.
Challenge:
Dunkin' needed fresh ways to stay relevant beyond morning coffee runs. E.L.F. Cosmetics wanted buzz without the budget of prestige beauty brands. Coffee and cosmetics don't share shelf space.
The risk: come off gimmicky, confuse both audiences, or make neither brand feel premium enough to matter.
Response:
They leaned into the absurdity. The collection wasn't subtle. Eyeshadow palettes named after glazes. Lip gloss that smelled like coffee. Everything sold exclusively through E.L.F.'s site and Ulta, keeping scarcity high and distribution tight. The product wasn't the point. The conversation was. Both brands share the same psychographic: accessible, playful, unapologetically mainstream. They weren't selling makeup or donuts. They were selling in-group status for people who get the joke.
Result:
The collection sold out. More importantly, it reminded both audiences that these brands get it. They don't take themselves too seriously. The lesson: category-crossing merch works when the why is cultural, not logical.
