Safeway Collaborates with YouTuber MrBeast
Albertsons Cos.’ Safeway partnered with popular YouTuber and philanthropist Jimmy Donaldson, better known as MrBeast, for a unique collaboration that leverages a mock grocery store and the creative and charitable stylings of MrBeast’s massive YouTube channel.
MrBeast, known for expensive giveaways and stunts, often releases videos of different challenges that include charitable elements to his YouTube channel audience, which boasts more than 216 million subscribers.
According to a media release from Albertsons, MrBeast approached the retailer with the idea for his latest challenge video, “Survive in a Grocery Store,” which debuted on Dec. 3. The video shows MrBeast challenging a contestant to see how many days he can live inside a grocery store, which is branded as “Beast Grocery” on the outside, but a normal Safeway store on the inside.
Every day the man remains in the store, he wins $10,000. However, he must also choose $10,000 worth of products to donate to local charities each day as well.
Albertsons and the Safeway team created the functioning store site for the challenge. Brand sponsors, including PepsiCo, Vita Coco, Campbell’s, Red Baron Pizza, Dude Wipes and Country Crock, helped stock the store with real products.
Albertsons and the Safeway team worked with MrBeast’s team on the cash registers, aisles, signage, placement and merchandising to make sure every aspect of the store was a true functional grocery store, including seasonal areas and specialty sections found only in and around special occasions.
“Safeway has a longstanding history of giving back to the community, so when we learned of this incredibly fun and unique opportunity to partner with MrBeast and help our neighbors in need, we were thrilled,” Jennifer Saenz, executive vice president and chief merchandising officer at Albertsons Cos., said in the release. “Our collaboration with MrBeast furthers our mission to break the cycle of hunger as part of our Recipe for Change environmental, social and governance framework. We’re also introducing MrBeast’s fanbase to the extensive assortment of popular products they can find in their local Safeway store, including Feastables candy and cookies.”
Feastables is MrBeast’s gluten-free snack brand, which originally launched as a DTC brand before launching at Walmart in 2022 and more retailers this year, including 7-Eleven, Target and Albertsons Cos.
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Through the collaboration, Safeway, MrBeast and brand sponsors, including Shopify and PepsiCo, donated over $450,000 worth of groceries, electronics, paper goods and other items to local nonprofit organizations, including Feeding America, You Need Help Outreach Ministries, Hope Restorations, The Salvation Army Greenville, Boys & Girls Club of Wayne County and Beast Philanthropy.
PepsiCo, the exclusive direct-to-store-delivery beverage provider for the video, says the company donated 20 pallets of assorted PepsiCo products to the local community.
“We think fans will especially love the contestant’s creative use of the Starry lemon lime flavored soda 12-packs,” Shannon Bennett, vice president, retail sales, PepsiCo Beverages North America, West Division, said in the release.
Safeway partnered with Copia, a technology company that connects food donations to local nonprofits, to identify and manage donation opportunities from the store to local organizations.
The “Survive in a Grocery Store” video is live now on the MrBeast YouTube channel and has been translated into 14 languages across the globe.