Dunkin's "Specialty Spider Donut" Is Back For The Season, And People Are Losing It Over Their Viral NSFW Instagram Posts

In the year of our Lord 2024, it seems that food brands are really pushing the boundaries of social media marketing. There's the Nutter Butter TikTok account that feels like a fever dream:

A giant Nutter Butter cookie on a playground slide with two peanut footprints on the ground and a blur in the foreground
Nutter Butter / Via tiktok.com

And we can't forget about the slightly less chaotic, but still worth mentioning Sour Patch Kids Instagram account, which attracts comments from even more chronically online food brands:

A person in a blue gummy candy costume with a green shirt marked "brat" walks down an office hallway

Sunny D and Cheez-It making "Pookie" references was not on my 2024 bingo card.

Sour Patch Kids / Via instagram.com

Of course, there's also Wendy's Twitter account that's been dishing out classic burns for years now.

Wendy's / Via Twitter: @Wendys

Now, a hot new bombshell has entered the villa: the Dunkin' Specialty Spider Donut ads, which people are referring to as unhinged. In a statement to BuzzFeed, a spokesperson for Dunkin' told us, "We infuse our social feeds with both caffeine and culture, using humorous, culturally relevant, and engaging content to humanize our brand, however 'unhinged' that may be."

@Rachael_Conrad / Via Twitter: @Rachael_Conrad

While the donut isn't new, Dunkin' has "revamped" it this Halloween from its original orange to a Grimace-like purple and introduced now-sold-out spidey merch.

A person is wearing a sweatshirt featuring a "Spider Donut" with the text "I put the eepy in creepy." The item is sold out

And its advertising for their new and improved spooky donut is definitely, um, a little unconventional.

A tad NSFW, some may say.

Like, I'm afraid HR will flag my search history.

But don't worry, this lil' donut is just as creepy as it is weirdly horny.

A donut with purple icing is topped with a spider-shaped decoration. The text above says,
A donut with purple icing is topped with a spider-shaped decoration. The text above says,
A round, textured object with two small white spheres and
A round, textured object with two small white spheres and

Dunkin' / Via instagram.com, Dunkin' / Via instagram.com

Dunkin' told us her official name is "Spidey D" and that their aim was to "sprinkle a little fun into spooky season." I won't lie, though; she genuinely terrifies me.

Donut with purple icing and chocolate drizzle topped with a donut hole resembling a person with a bow, humorous text above
Donut with purple icing and chocolate drizzle topped with a donut hole resembling a person with a bow, humorous text above
a close-up of the donut with a red bow, featuring the text
a close-up of the donut with a red bow, featuring the text

Dunkin / Via instagram.com

Scrolling through Dunkin's Instagram, a once harmless activity, has us all now scared, confused, and maybe a little concerned.

Three social media comments: "Ma'am this is a Dunkin'," "Hello 911?" and "IN FRONT OF MY HASH BROWNS?"

But the campaign has undoubtedly caught tons of attention, and people seem to love the weirdness of it all. "Started following Dunkin solely because of this spider," one person wrote. Dunkin's spokesperson told us that the response has been "overwhelmingly positive."

Four social media comments praising Dunkin' for an innovative ad campaign

The whole marketing stunt feels very Gen Z-coded, and people are intent on uncovering the mind behind the spidey madness and going as far as saying they need a raise.

Three social media comments praising a Dunkin's humorous content, with likes and reply counts shown

But the best part might be the responses from other brands, who I can only assume also have their own "feral" Gen Z'er ferociously typing in the comment section.

Comment from Walgreens on social media saying, "Dunkin please my girls on here," with 396 likes and 2 replies

Someone, please tell me why the place where I pick up my deodorant and prescriptions is so clocked into these trends.

Comment by Walgreens asks, "4+4=?"

I'll never look at Pop-Tarts the same way.

Pop-Tarts Instagram comment: "send me the addy for ur web" with 928 likes and 6 replies

I'll also never smile back at a Goldfish cracker.

Comments from Goldfish Smiles wishing for legs and Dunkin replying, admiring their smile

Oreo has even started Instagram beef with the diva spider herself for reasons I'm sure someone more well-versed in marketing will explain to me. Clever move there, Oreo.

Anyway, my head hurts, and I, too, am at my limit.

I can't wait to see the next unhinged post, Dunkin' (and if you wanted to send me a spidey sweater, I wouldn't be mad). Please tell me what you think about Spidey D in the comments!