Taking center stage as the secret ingredient on Top Chef's Quickfire Challenge, Dunkin' Donuts gave both the show's contestants and fans at home the opportunity to showcase new and different ways to enjoy the brand's coffee. Dunkin' did this by extending the broadcast TV integration into a live "first of its kind" second screen cooking competition. Produced as a Google+ Hangout, the #DDTopChef Recipe Challenge featured the sweet and savory dishes of six fans…chosen from a contest Dunkin’ hosted across Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest – soliciting original recipes that incorporated at least one Dunkin’ product. The six contestants were each paired with a member of Dunkin’s culinary team who prepared and helped defend their recipes. During the live-streamed Google+ Hangout, Dunkin's Executive Chef, Stan Frankenthaler, tasted and critiqued the food while chatting with each virtual contestant and their Dunkin’ chef mentor. With the help from real-time voting on Twitter, six contestants turned into two finalists from which Frankenthaler named DD’s Top Chef and awarded Janine Fisk (and her desert nachos) a $1,000 grand prize. Each viewer of #DDTopChef gave an average of 9 minutes of their “full attention" to the live stream – (Now can any TV spot claim that?!) And with a shoestring budget, this “social TV" program (in less than a day) generated over 30 million branded impressions across social media – reminding everyone that America (and Top Chef) run on Dunkin’.
