Dunkin’ is adding a sixth Spice Girl to the lineup. Sort of. A new fall campaign reunites Emma “Baby Spice” Bunton and Geri “Ginger Spice” Halliwell-Horner to reveal the supposed long-lost member of the group.
Pumpkin Spice, played by Rachel Dratch.
The joke is that Pumpkin Spice was once part of the band, complete with her own choreography, pumpkin-themed hits, and unwavering devotion to all things seasonal, before walking away from pop stardom to pursue what Dunkin’ calls her true passion: lattes.
In the hero spot, Bunton and Halliwell-Horner reminisce about their former bandmate before the trio reunites over Dunkin’s seasonal pumpkin drinks, giving Dratch’s character one more chance to pitch a comeback. Watch below:
“I think Pumpkin Spice was just ahead of her time,” Dratch said. “Maybe a little too seasonal, but definitely ahead of the curve.”
She added that the character “left to focus on lattes” and said bringing her back alongside Bunton and Halliwell-Horner gave Pumpkin Spice “the recognition she deserves.”
The campaign builds on Dunkin’s Aug. 19 launch of its fall menu, which brought back pumpkin beverages and bakery items for a limited time.
Dunkin’ also tied the campaign to a one-day promotion, offering guests a free medium Pumpkin Spice Signature Latte with a qualifying purchase between 2 p.m. and 6 p.m. local time on Sept. 8 at participating locations.
Additional campaign content featuring Dratch, Bunton and Halliwell-Horner is rolling out across Dunkin’s social channels.
It’s a familiar celebrity-culture formula, but the casting adds built-in nostalgia: two actual Spice Girls introducing a fake one whose entire personality is pumpkin.
Pumpkin Spice may not have made it to Wembley.
But she did make it to Dunkin’.
Colin Costello is the West Coast Editor of Reel 360 News. Contact him at colin@reel360.com or follow him on LinkedIn.
