Ben Affleck is a wannabe pop star for what must be a Dunkin’ Super Bowl preview

Ben Affleck wasn’t embarrassed or ashamed of the “Sad Affleck” meme that started when he attended the 2023 Grammys with his wife, Jennifer Lopez, and looked like he was at a forensic accounting convention.

According to a new Dunkin’ ad that aired during last night’s 2024 Grammys, this only motivated the Oscar-winning writer and director to add another artistic endeavor to his career: pop star.

In the spot, created with Affleck and Matt Damon’s studio, Artists Equity, Affleck is pitching various producers and music industry folks on his ideas, including TikTok star Charli D’Amelio (who couldn’t recognize Affleck last year).

Ever since Affleck appeared in Dunkin’s first-ever Super Bowl commercial last year—working the drive-through—his ad persona is a brilliant blend of his brother Casey’s SNL Boston Dunkin’ Guy and the job-interview persona of Affleck’s character in Good Will Hunting (“Retaaaaaainer!“). His full career pivot here was hinted at back in a September spot, in which he suggested to Ice Spice that they could “spit some bars” together.

The new Grammys ad is accompanied by a playlist of shorter pieces, featuring Affleck pitching the music producer, as well as reminding D’Amelio that he’s an influencer of sorts in longer-form entertainment.

In 2018, The New Yorker ran a piece titled “The Great Sadness of Ben Affleck.” With his Dunkin’ work, Affleck is skillfully winking at all the memes and tabloid theories that have swirled around him over the years, while also creating some pretty damn good advertising that can connect with both older and younger audiences. His ability to play with his celebrity reputation as an exaggerated version of himself is approaching Curb Your Enthusiasm levels.

The new ad ends with “To be continued,” so we can only hope that both Dunkin’ and Affleck will make another appearance during the Super Bowl, this time with a full track to show off.