Dunkin’ Donuts’ #mydunkin advertising campaign features real Dunkin’ fans and their social media content that shows their love for Dunkin’ Donuts coffee. After sorting through tens of thousands of posts on Facebook and Twitter, Dunkin’ Donuts selected the first fans to appear in new television commercials based directly on their original social content sharing their unique Dunkin’ stories. Next, meet Mauricio G., our coffee loving fan whose #mydunkin moment was enjoying a Dunkin’ Donuts coffee before catching some waves for an early morning surfing session.
We caught up with Mauricio to learn more about his Dunkin’ story and go behind the scenes on the day of filming.
1.) Tell us a little bit about yourself and how you ended up in New York City.
I’m originally from Miami, Florida and I went to a small private college named Barry University where I studied Communications. We may not have a big football team, but I'm really proud of my school. I moved to New York City about five years ago after experiencing Manhattan during an internship. The art, music, fashion, and culinary scene in New York was unlike anything I had ever seen! Brooklyn was incredibly exciting and after just a few months I decided that I had to move here.
2.) What are some of your hobbies?
Music is my number one passion and part of my soul. Reggae and Jazz are my favorite genres and searching for new music is one of my favorite things to do. I'll stream new artists, buy records and I love going to concerts. I also play the drums.

3.) Your #mydunkin story is about surfing, which is another hobby for you. When did you start surfing?
Surfing is actually a pretty new hobby for me, but I completely fell in love with it. I’ve been surfing for about a year now and I’m lucky to have my girlfriend, Glorianne, and her father, George, who taught me how to surf. They are great teachers and it’s a fun way to spend time together. During the warmer months of the year, we usually go surfing every weekend. Surfing is now such a passion of mine that I’m the one who is pushing to get up at 5:00am every weekend because I can’t wait to get in the water. Now that the weather is getting colder, we're looking for a place with some warmer waters so we’re looking to take a trip in the near future.

4.) How does Dunkin’ Coffee play a role in your surfing routine?
Surfing is full of early mornings, but they are often accompanied by late nights. Dunkin’ coffee helps me feel refreshed and awake before surfing. Dunkin’ Donuts coffee is the best way to switch from that sleepy feeling to a nice and confident feeling that comes with being awake and ready to tackle the day.
5.) What is your typical coffee order at Dunkin’?
My order is pretty simple, but I typically get a Medium Coffee with skim milk and sugar.

6.) What was it like hearing from Dunkin' Donuts about this opportunity?
The message from Dunkin’ Donuts caught me completely off guard! I kept checking my Twitter direct messages to see if it was really the Dunkin’ Donuts verified Twitter account that was reaching out to me. I couldn't believe a brand I sincerely enjoy wanted to turn my tweet into a commercial.
7.) Tell us about your experience filming the commercial.
The entire experience was just incredible. I work in marketing so to be part of the #mydunkin campaign was so exciting and fun for me because I was able to be in a campaign instead of working behind the scenes. Even leading up to the day of filming I couldn’t believe Dunkin’ Donuts wanted to share my story. On the day of filming, it was really incredible to see how Dunkin’ Donuts was turning my story into a commercial. The crew was fantastic and they did a great job capturing these special moments. I had an excellent time traveling and spending time with the crew and it was a blast doing multiple takes so we could make sure each one was better than the last.

8.) Any key takeaways or learnings from this experience?
I love how authentic the commercial is, which allows the viewers to really experience my story. We filmed in my neighborhood in Brooklyn and at the actual beach that I go to every weekend, Lido Beach on Long Island. I also loved how Tyler, the Director, and Ed, the Director of Photography, worked so hard to get the perfect shot. They captured a beautiful sunrise and even got in the water with their camera. Everyone who was a part of making this commercial worked incredibly hard and I truly admire each individual that was involved.

9.) What were some of your favorite moments from filming?
We were sitting in the trailer at the beach early on a Thursday morning, it was dark outside and we were waiting for the sunrise. It was pretty quiet but all of a sudden it was interrupted by a loud voice yelling, "Places everyone!" and we all jumped to our spots to start filming. We were getting ready to shoot the first scene of the day and I ran towards the beach and grabbed my surfboard. It was such a rush and I was so thrilled and excited that I got to do this. This memory is one of my favorites that I’ll never forget.
Share your Dunkin’ story with us using #mydunkin on Facebook and Twitter!