News

Dunkin' Donuts bites into Shark Week promotions

July 30, 2014

Discovery Channel's Shark Week will return Aug. 10 and will feature a promotional presence from Dunkin' Donuts.

Dunkin' Donuts partnered with the network to create social and interactive programming, as well as a special new donut for Shark Week fans. The Shark Bite Donut features a yeast ring donut topped with white and red icing designed to resemble a life preserver.

Fans can now share a selfie taking a bite out of their favorite breakfast item and post it to Twitter or Instagram with the #DDSharkWeek hashtag to potentially win a $100 Dunkin' Donuts Card and Shark Week prize pack.

Participants may also be featured on Discovery Channel's "Shark After Dark," as each night host Josh Wolf will encourage viewers to visit the special website SharkWeek.com/Dunkin to vote for the "Dunkin' Bite of the Nite." Winners will be announced and their photos revealed on the show. The winning pictures also may be featured on Dunkin' Donuts' billboard in Times Square.

"Each year, the anticipation and enthusiasm for Shark Week increases, and we are excited to partner with Discovery Channel for Shark Week 2014," John Costello, Dunkin' president, Global Marketing and Innovation, said in a news release. "Through the combination of unique social programming, exclusive digital content and a special donut in participating Dunkin' Donuts restaurants, together we've developed a truly innovative, immersive experience and opportunities for deeper engagement for our guests and all Shark Week fans."

Xbox One experience

In addition to the selfie contest and the special donut, Dunkin's agency of record Hill Holliday created an Xbox One video game and entertainment system from Microsoft for the partnership. Fans who watch Shark Week through their Xbox One can "snap" their Internet Explorer browser window to the edge of their TV screen that will provide a live feed of #SharkWeek social content, interactive quizzes, real time polls and more while they continue to watch live programming on Discovery.

Jamie Scheu, VP, Director of Experience Design at Hill Holliday, said this is the first time a paid advertiser has created an interactive experience like this for live TV programming via the Xbox One.

"For Shark Week fans watching the show on their Xbox One, it offers additional content and a second-screen experience on their primary screen – their television. For Dunkin' Donuts, it represents an opportunity to create sustained engagement with people in their living room, not just for 15 or 30 seconds at a time during commercial breaks, but for minutes or even hours throughout a live national television event," Scheu said in the release.