The pumpkin spice wars are escalating in a big, big way.
Dunkin’ has introduced a new drink that blends frozen coffee and whipped cream with the chain’s mini pumpkin-spiced doughnut holes (called Munchkins), and topped with a caramel drizzle, just to ensure your blood sugar levels spike a little bit higher.
Dubbed the Ice Spice Munchkins Drink, the drink went on sale Wednesday for a limited time. The company debuted it during Tuesday’s MTV Video Music Awards in a commercial featuring rapper Ice Spice that was conceived and overseen by costar/actor and noted Dunkin’ lover Ben Affleck.
“Pumpkin spice season has gotten a bit predictable lately, so we sought help from our friends Ben Affleck and Ice Spice to create a new pumpkin obsession that only Dunkin’ can offer,” said Jill McVicar Nelson, chief marketing officer at Dunkin’, in a statement. “It’s not your ordinary pumpkin drink.”
This is the first time Dunkin’ has formally combined its doughnuts and coffee beverages in an official capacity, though the company’s original name was born, naturally, from seeing early patrons of the establishment dunk the doughnuts they bought into their coffees.
The resulting drink, Dunkin’ says, is similar to a cookies-and-cream shake, but with a pumpkin-spice twist and a kick of caffeine.
Dunkin’ has been upping its coffee game for several years now, hoping to steal some market share from Starbucks.
The company also knows a good PR stunt when it sees one, selling bags of bacon three years ago and leaning hard on Affleck’s fondness for the brand during the Super Bowl earlier this year.