On Tuesday, a dejected crowd of MrBeast supporters crowded in front of a sports bar in Las Vegas, hoping to speak to Resorts World Las Vegas CEO Alex Dixon. They had each paid up to $1,000 for an exclusive “MrBeast Experience” with exclusive merchandise, Beast-themed games, and special MrBeast-themed menu items at the resort’s restaurants.
What most fans received, however, was nothing more than some MrBeast chocolate bars and a child-sized t-shirt.
In January, MrBeast announced the “MrBeast Experience” at Las Vegas’ Resorts World casino and hotel. A press release at the time teased “a variety of on-site activations designed to offer an immersive and unforgettable experience for our guests.” One “lucky guest” was promised to win a $10,000 gift voucher.
By Tuesday, however, it was clear that the MrBeast Experience was a fiasco. It is already being called the Fyre Festival of the YouTube world. Resorts World Las Vegas failed to deliver on the experience, leaving guests feeling overcharged and ripped off.
MrBeast didn’t even show up for the event, something many fans believed was included in the price. Jimmy Donaldson, aka MrBeast, responded by claiming that he was unaware of the event’s shortcomings and had not been directly involved in its organization.
After the controversy exploded online, MrBeast replied to a disgruntled attendee on X. “This definitely isn’t the experience we hoped they’d deliver,” MrBeast posted. “My team’s already on it—I’d love to personally make it up to you and anyone else by inviting everybody affected to tour my actual studio! Can’t wait to meet you all, and my team is reaching out to everyone.”
However, this is not an isolated incident for MrBeast. MrBeast previously faced challenges with his virtual restaurant, Beast Burger. The brand he partnered with, Virtual Dining Concepts, failed to deliver quality burgers through ghost kitchens. After numerous complaints about food quality and service, MrBeast filed a lawsuit against the company, alleging that the partnership damaged his brand.
MrBeast’s most recent fiasco shows that his partnerships team still hasn’t learned from past experiences. He’s not the first YouTuber to have had their brand tarnished by a bad partnership. Other influencers have encountered similar pitfalls.
For instance, Logan Paul’s CryptoZoo project promised users the ability to earn money by breeding digital animals. However, the project failed to deliver a functional product, resulting in accusations of fraud and a class-action lawsuit. Paul later offered partial refunds to investors who agreed not to pursue legal action.
James Charles faced backlash over a collaboration with Morphe. While his Morphe eyeshadow palette was a hit, Charles experienced criticism when the palettes began to fall apart. Users reported issues like patchy application and poor consistency of the powders, making it impossible to blend. When Charles released a mini version of the same palette shortly after the backlash, without changing the powder recipe, fans accused him of a cash grab.
These controversies underscore how important it is for influencers to vet their partnerships and ensure proper oversight of any projects leveraging their name. Influencers’ reputations are intrinsically linked to the products and experiences they endorse. When collaborations flop, the influencer often bears the brunt of public outrage.
A creator putting their name on something, even if their name is only being licensed, leads fans to believe that the creator is intimately involved with the product or event. Maintaining credibility is key for creators like MrBeast, whose brand is built on trust and philanthropy.
As the influencer economy grows, prominent creators will only venture further into the spotlight as brands rush in to profit off their names. Transparency, due diligence, and a commitment to quality are crucial for any creator seeking to safeguard their brand.
Unfortunately for MrBeast, a few chocolate bars and a t-shirt probably aren’t enough to win back fans’ trust. Maybe a studio tour will help.
– Taylor Lorenz, Passionfruit Contributor
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