Instagram Is Not Having Dunkin's 'Negroni Sbagliato' Riff
Whether you like it or not, you're probably very familiar with the Negroni Sbagliato if you've perused any corner of the internet within the last two weeks. Otherwise known as a "broken" or "mistaken" Negroni, the cocktail — which replaces the gin found in a traditional Negroni with a sparkling wine like prosecco (via Wine Enthusiast) — has been at the forefront of many netizens' minds thanks to an interview clip shared to TikTok on October 1 in which "House of the Dragon" star Emma D'Arcy describes the "stunning" beverage to their co-star, Olivia Cooke, after being asked what their drink of choice is.
The video has since gone viral, picking up over 20.4 million views, as of this writing, while Google searches for the cocktail have increased 501%, according to The Spirit Business. As often is the case these days, the soundbite has also sparked the creativity of many others on the world wide web, who have, in turn, created thousands of new social media posts inspired by the exchange. Even Dunkin's social media team hopped on the trend in an Instagram post this week that featured a photo of one of its fan-favorite coffee beverages surrounded by candles and miniature pumpkins.
"What's your drink of choice? A Peanut Butter Cup Iced Macchiato ... I was gonna say the same thing .. .And spooky candles ... Oo ... With pumpkins next to it ... Oh stunning," read the caption of the October 17 post – though fans aren't exactly finding the chain's riff on the popular meme to be stunning itself.
Dunkin' customers can't look past its disappointing rewards program revamp
Members of Dunkin's social media team probably thought they were being clever when they curated their Emma-D'Arcy-negroni-sbagliato-inspired Instagram post on Monday afternoon. To their credit, the trend was executed fairly well and even hit on the internet's love for spooky season. Unfortunately, due to an issue far outside the realm of the chain's Instagram activity, the upload is getting close to being categorized as a fail.
For those who may not be aware, Dunkin' recently rolled out a new rewards program, and, to put it bluntly, customers aren't at all happy with the change. Redditors slammed Dunkin's new point system and the same sentiment was seen in the comments section of the eatery's Instagram post earlier this week.
"I was about to like this post but then I remembered I'm still mad at you guys about the rewards program so I didn't," one person commented. Your old rewards program was stunning," another follower quipped, while a third brought up another controversial decision Dunkin' made earlier this year. "Wanna know what's stunning? HAZELNUT SWIRL!! Bring it back rn rn rn," an Instagram user said.
Still, some commenters were able to recognize the humor of the post, and even called for members of Dunkin's marketing team to get a raise. However, until the dust settles around the disappointing new rewards program, it seems the social media squad may not get the credit it deserves.