Dunkin’ Super Bowl commercial turns “Good Will Hunting” into a ’90s sitcom spoof

Dunkin’ used the Super Bowl spotlight Sunday night, Feb. 8, 2026, to debut a nostalgia-heavy commercial that reimagines “Good Will Hunting” as a never-aired 1990s sitcom pilot set inside a Cambridge, Massachusetts Dunkin’. The ad, titled “Good Will Dunkin’,” leans into throwback styling—VHS-like visuals, era-specific wardrobe, and classic multi-camera beats—while stacking a cast of familiar TV faces around a single premise: Ben Affleck as a coffee-shop savant with a math brain and a donut habit.

Beyond the celebrity lineup, the spot doubles as a brand story about iced coffee, positioning 1995 as a key moment in Dunkin’s “origin” timeline and tying the campaign to a large next-day giveaway.

A “Good Will Hunting” twist with a coffee counter setting

The commercial riffs on the famous film’s identity—without trying to recreate it scene for scene—by turning Affleck into a Dunkin’ employee who quietly displays genius through small, absurdly specific details. One running joke centers on him arranging Munchkins in a Fibonacci sequence, a nod to math-as-mystique that fits the original movie’s tone while staying squarely in sitcom territory.

The setting choice is deliberate: Cambridge is central to the movie’s lore, and Dunkin’ has long associated itself with Greater Boston. The ad uses that geography as shorthand for authenticity, then heightens it with punchlines built around coffee rituals and donut preferences.

Sitcom all-stars join the “lost pilot” premise

The “never-aired sitcom pilot” concept lets the ad rotate recognizable characters through the shop in quick bursts, mimicking the cadence of classic TV entrances and catchphrase-style moments. The cast includes Jennifer Aniston, Matt LeBlanc, Jason Alexander, Ted Danson, Alfonso Ribeiro, Jaleel White, and Jasmine Guy—each used as a quick hit of familiarity rather than the center of the story.

The cameo that lands the final beat belongs to Tom Brady, who appears as a reveal tied to a punchline that flips the movie’s most quoted taunt into a donut-themed payoff. The structure is simple: stack recognizable faces, deliver one clean twist, then exit quickly before the joke wears out.

The big-game strategy: nostalgia, not spectacle

Unlike many Super Bowl spots that chase scale, this one chases recognition. It’s built for the second-screen era—moments designed to be clipped and shared—without relying on shock value. The retro aesthetic acts like a container that holds everything together: it explains the “lost footage” look, justifies the sitcom rhythm, and gives the brand a playful way to talk about its own history.

It also extends a longer-running Ben Affleck partnership that has become a consistent Super Bowl thread for Dunkin’, with each year’s installment trying a different comedic frame.

The giveaway angle: 1.995 million coffees on Super Bowl Monday

Dunkin’ paired the ad with a promotion timed for Monday, Feb. 9, 2026, offering 1.995 million free coffees through its app—“any size”—as a tie-in to the campaign’s 1995 setting. The idea is straightforward: the commercial creates buzz during the game, then the giveaway pushes consumers to open the app the next day, when attention has shifted from the scoreboard to recap culture.

The company also teased limited-edition, ’90s-inspired merchandise connected to the campaign, extending the “rewind” theme beyond the broadcast window.

What viewers are talking about the morning after

Early conversation has focused on three elements: the “Good Will Hunting” parody angle, the density of sitcom cameos, and the Brady punchline. The spot’s appeal is less about new information and more about familiarity—recognizable faces, recognizable rhythms, recognizable regional identity—wrapped around a quick brand message.

Whether it becomes one of the year’s most replayed ads will depend on how well it holds up outside the live-event rush. But as a Super Bowl play, it checks the boxes brands want: a clear hook, a quick laugh, and a next-day action prompt built into the campaign.

Key takeaways

• The ad, “Good Will Dunkin’,” debuted during the Super Bowl on Feb. 8, 2026 (ET) with a ’90s sitcom “lost pilot” concept.

• Ben Affleck leads a cast packed with iconic sitcom actors, plus a Tom Brady cameo.

• The campaign ties its setting to 1995 and includes a 1.995 million free-coffee giveaway on Feb. 9, 2026 (ET) through the Dunkin’ app.

Sources consulted: Dunkin’ Newsroom; People; Entertainment Weekly; CBS News