Dunkin' launches national NIL campaign across 24 institutions
Dunkin’ is sending waves through NIL deals.
The nationwide coffee chain has signed NIL agreements with the entire Northwestern field hockey team, plus athletes from 23 other institutions. There are 48 athletes in total, including 25 from Northwestern. Learfield played a role in bringing the deals to athletes, along with the assistance of its marketplace partner Opendorse.
Because Learfield is the the media rights holder for these schools, athletes will execute their deals while wearing their school colors and logos. This is an example of brand tapping into a major swath of talent while monetizing an institution’s IP.
Athletes involved in the deal include Tennessee quarterback Hendon Hooker, North Carolina star forward Armando Bacot and South Carolina guard Zia Cooke.
As part of the agreement, athletes will participate in the Team Dunkin’ campaign across social media.
“Partnering and being part of Team Dunkin’ is the perfect fit for me,” Cooke said in a release. “I’ve been a fan of the brand for a long time, so I’m thrilled to be teaming up with other accomplished athletes to represent Team Dunkin’. I’m excited to show everyone how I get my coffee fix and highlight some of my favorite items.”
Learfield does not represent the athletes, but it does continue to play an integral part in delivering NIL opportunities to athletes. Recently, it helped ZIPS Car Wash launch its “Car Wash Convos” series with 12 athletes from three schools.
“We’re proud to work with Dunkin’ on this innovative partnership designed to create rich and differentiated engagement in the college space,” Learfield chief revenue officer John Brody said. “This was a true collaboration built to tie together the passion of college sports fans with the voice of the student-athlete and the schools, ultimately delivering for Dunkin’ a platform that is authentic and has never been done before at this scale in the college ecosystem. Our proprietary digital platform, Fan365, also allows for a customized approach to reaching Dunkin’ consumers across the country.”
This is not the first foray into NIL for the nationally recognized brand. Back in September, Michigan quarterback J.J. McCarthy secured his own Dunkin’ order at select Metro Detroit locations of the chain coffee and breakfast shop. Fifteen student-athletes at Pitt participated in a campaign with Dunkin’ in October, too.
Athletes involved in Dunkin’ NIL campaign
Here is the full list of athletes who have signed deals with Dunkin’:
| Name | School | Sport |
|---|---|---|
| Vanessa DiNardo | Cincinnati | Soccer |
| Ice Brady | UConn | Basketball |
| Zay Flowers | Boston College | Football |
| Savannah Perry | Colorado | Volleyball |
| Matthew Boling | Georgia | Track & Field |
| Kenadi Brown | New Hampshire | Gymnastics |
| Devin Carter | Providence | Basketball |
| Ishmael Leggett | Rhode Island | Basketball |
| Zia Cooke | South Carolina | Basketball |
| Joseph Girard III | Syracuse | Basketball |
| Jackson Pruitt | Temple | Football |
| Ashley Chevalier | Texas Tech | Basketball |
| Cam Morrissey | Vermont | Hockey |
| Cara Lewis | Virginia Tech | Volleyball |
| Jada Moore | Florida Atlantic | Basketball |
| Jhenna Gabriel | UNLV | Volleyball |
| Devyn Flaherty | Florida State | Softball |
| Armando Bacot | North Carolina | Basketball |
| Jack Myers | Ohio State | Lacrosse |
| Jahvon Quinerly | Alabama | Basketball |
| Maya Nnaji | Arizona | Basketball |
| Hendon Hooker | Tennessee | Football |
| Matt Koopman | UMass | Hockey |