MrBeast is asking fans to clean up Feastables displays at Walmart

Feastables, a snack food company founded last year and run by none other than Jimmy Donaldson — aka YouTube stunt, tech, and philanthropy sensation MrBeast — caused controversy on March 3, 2023, after Donaldson tweeted a plea to his followers, urging them to fix the displays of his product in Walmart stores.

“I need your help! The next time you see Feastables in Walmart (and new retailers coming soon) if you could clean up the presentation and look better that would be greatly appreciated. I’m building a team to do this routinely, just need short term help,” he tweeted.

Feastables, which has its own Twitter account, said fans who polish up the displays are eligible to enter a contest to win $5,000. Simply submit a before and after “shelfie” to be considered.

“Have you seen Feastables bars on the shelf at your local Walmart, one big mess? Would you like to enter a $5,000 monthly prize draw? Feastables states on its website. “Well friends, if you clean up the store shelf for the next person and send us before and after photos, you’ll be entered into a $5,000 monthly prize draw! Follow the steps below!”

Many fans seemed eager and willing to drop everything and help their favorite YouTuber without promising any specific compensation for their work. They even posted images demonstrating their brand loyalty. A Twitter user alarmed Donaldson He was at Walmart and said, “I fixed them right… Anything for the team.” I even bought the chocolate sea salt.”

Other users have been annoyed that unpaid work is often part of the Creator Economy experience. They argued that average people are often exploited to help a creator with whom they feel a personal connection.

A Twitter user called“It’s fascinating to watch the period of capitalism where people have the honor of doing free work for rich people who don’t care about them because they feel a kind of connection and loyalty like a dog who wants a treat , only the treat is imaginary feeling of connection.”

Another user made connections between Donaldson’s request and Willy Wonka – whom Donaldson had explicitly emulated in the past by opening a Feastables-themed chocolate factory.

“He’s a walking lottery ticket. Willy Wonka just hangs around the Des Moines destination and picks a random life changing peon. If you curry favor with God, you can be rewarded with gold,” according to the user tweeted.

Some users argued that Donaldson was pretty clever in pulling off this marketing ploy.

“Brilliant! Crowdsourcing the cleanup. Amazing way to solve the problem in your own circle of influence. Proud of you. Take care @Hersheys, there’s a new and better way to do things,” said one YouTuber tweeted.

And then there are the people who have decided to rule the chaos and share pictures of themselves intentionally messing up the Feastables ad. “I will keep destroying your candy displays until you pay me $100,000,” said one Twitter creator (@websiteidi0t) tweeted next to a picture of a Feastables shelf in complete disarray.

“I think Mr. Beast sold his soul to the devil,” creator Passionfruit said in an email.

This isn’t the first time Donaldson has sparked a debate. He caused a stir on Twitter in February 2023 after posting a video saying he had “cured” 1,000 people of blindness. While some users accused Donaldson of “charity porn,” others flocked to vehemently defend him.

While he’s known for drawing his fair share of controversy, Donaldson is widely recognized for his size and flashiness, and many of his supporters praise him for his large charitable presence. Donaldson currently has the fourth most subscribed YouTube channel. As of January 2023, he has over 130 million subscribers.

Passionfruit reached out to Feastables via email for comments, to Walmart via its media request form, and to Donaldson’s publicist contacts listed on its IMDb Pro page. We also reached out to the creators cited in this article via Twitter message.

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