The 90’s Never Left Us. 🍩 📺
Dunkin' pressed play on a sitcom multiverse and it totally worked.
Every Super Bowl, brands try to outdo each other. Bigger celebrities. Bigger budgets.
And every year there are a few ads that feel expensive… but are forgettable.
Then there are the ones that get the creative 100% right.
This year, Dunkin’ tapped into something magical with their 90’s-themed “Good Will Dunkin’” spot. And the reason it worked has a lot less to do with star power and a lot more to do with cultural memory.
It Felt Familiar in the Right Way.
On the surface, the premise is kind of ridiculous. A parody of Good Will Hunting reimagined as a lost 90’s sitcom set inside a Boston Dunkin’.
Or as I like to think of it: A multiverse Cheers meets tons of carbs all boosted on steroids.
Ted Danson behind the counter as Sam. Throw in Carlton and Urkel. Whitley Gilbert is hanging out.
Add some Joey Tribbiani and then take it to the next level with a still young George Constanza.
And conclude with Jennifer Aniston, who probably didn’t need any CGI to still look young.
It could’ve easily felt like a gimmick. But it didn’t.
Because they didn’t just reference the 90’s. They nailed all the details. It felt like something you might’ve actually seen in 1995 - an incredible year for sitcoms.
And that’s the difference between using nostalgia and understanding it.
Why It Landed.
I think the reason this one stuck is simple.
The 90’s were one of the last times culture was truly shared in real time.
(Similar to how we think of sports + award shows now.)
Everyone was watching the same Thursday night lineup. They shaped how we talked, how we joked, how we referenced things.
So when you bring those faces back together, it’s not just recognition.
It’s a multiversal memory - the Avengers of comedy.
You don’t have to explain the joke, because people are already in on it. Even my 10 year old son knows George Costanza.
This Is What Good Creative Looks Like.
A lot of brands try to play the nostalgia card and it falls flat. You can tell when it’s forced. You can tell when it’s just a checklist.
(This is also VERY true in music, but that’s a topic for another Substack.)
Somehow, this ad felt different.
Dunkin’ knew who the audience was. They knew what that era meant. And they threw in enough clever Easter eggs to make it feel fresh.
That’s a creative instinct thing.
And honestly, that’s the same principle I always come back to when I’m deejaying - taking something that’s classic but still making it sound fresh.
Only One Algorithm.
Ultimately, this wasn’t about coffee. And it wasn’t even really about the 90s.
It was about recognition of a time when culture felt communal.
That kind of shared memory is rare now. Everything is fragmented. Everyone’s in their own algorithm.
But when you tap into something from that era, it cuts through.
And to me, that’s the bigger creative takeaway:
The win isn’t always in chasing what’s new. Sometimes the win is in knowing exactly what people never stopped loving.
Thanks for being here.
Creative Exercise is a practice.
A place to slow down, notice patterns, and sharpen curation. Mine included.
If you’re interested in staying creative without burning out, building taste instead of chasing trends, and playing a longer game than most, you’re in the right place.
I’m glad you’re here.
- MICK
PS: If you made it this far, here’s a playlist to enjoy as you focus on your 2026 creativity!