Coffee drinkers are younger than I expected. For the past four months, I’ve been employed at Dunkin’ Donuts, and each shift, I’m amazed to see so many patrons under the age of 15 order one of Dunkin’s most sought-after coffee drinks, “The Charli.” 

Charli D’Amelio, one of TikTok’s most famous stars, teamed up with Dunkin’ Donuts and created her own drink: a Dunkin’ Cold Brew with whole milk and three pumps of caramel swirl. Since its debut, it has been hugely popular, and D’Amelio has even become a regular on Dunkin’s social channels.

In reality, “The Charli” is a basic drink; there’s nothing special about it other than it being Charli D’Amelio’s drink order. It has the normal amount of dairy, flavoring and sugar you would put into a regular coffee. On top of that, the flavoring used is the most popular flavor sold. To give credit to this drink’s quirkiness, not many people get cold brew, especially children, since it is more caffeinated than regular coffee.

Dunkin’ Donuts saw the marketing opportunities when a social media influencer mentioned her love of the company’s coffee. “The Charli” is a wise business tactic on Dunkin’s end; they have an influencer with a vast and younger audience. However, is the target audience the right one?

I have tried “The Charli” and it’s pretty tasty, but I can’t see an eight-year-old, new coffee drinker genuinely enjoying this drink.