UAE marketing enters the YouTube age with MrBeast video

November 15, 2024, 2:33 PM

MrBeast, whose real name is Jimmy Donaldson, is the world's most popular YouTuber with 329 million subscribers

Dubai video has 85m views
Scales Dubai Frame and Burj Khalifa
Targets a new demographic

Why is the world’s most popular YouTuber scaling the Burj Khalifa? He is helping the UAE to unlock a fresh demographic, marketing experts have told AGBI.

MrBeast – a 26-year-old American whose real name is Jimmy Donaldson – is a pop culture phenomenon. His channel has 329 million subscribers and his gameshow-esque videos have racked up hundreds of millions of views.

In his latest video, MrBeast compares $1 experiences with those apparently worth $500,000 – and the UAE has a starring role.

Computer, Electronics, Laptop Natasha-Hatherall-Shawe says MrBeast's broad reach could benefit Dubai — Natasha-Hatherall-Shawe says MrBeast’s broad reach could benefit Dubai

The film opens with MrBeast and his team standing on top of the Dubai Frame and concludes with him at the top of the Burj Khalifa – but not before skydiving, riding a submarine and racing top-end cars around the Dubai Autodrome alongside Emirati influencers.

Experts believe the “$500,000 experience” could not have been filmed without a degree of buy-in from UAE officials.

Natasha Hatherall-Shawe, founder of Dubai marketing agency TishTash, believes the sequence at the world’s tallest building “means it was something that Dubai wanted to do or he was even paid to do”.

She adds: “There would have to be a very strong business case or rationale for someone wanting to do this and it’s highly unlikely to ever be easy to access as it requires a lot of permission or sign off.”

Letting MrBeast use Dubai like a playground makes sense, she says. “He reaches kids, teens, twentysomethings and parents and families – so a very broad reach and many of those are a good target to visit or even move to Dubai.”

The video has received widespread news coverage and clocked up more than 87 million views in its first 10 days. “It got attention and it’s working,” says Hatherall-Shawe.

The UAE usually draws on mainstream celebrities to bring eyeballs to the country. In recent years, the likes of Tom Cruise, Ryan Reynolds, Kevin Hart, Jason Momoa and David Hasselhoff have been hired by Emirati agencies or businesses.

Working with MrBeast reflects a shift in the media landscape – and the UAE’s attempts to get ahead of it.

Marwa Kaabour says that influencer marketing 'comes with risks' — Marwa Kaabour says influencer marketing comes with a risk of over-commercialisation

Maha Mahdy, head of influencer marketing for the Middle East and North Africa at marketer AnyMind Group, says: “It’s about creating authentic connections with young consumers on the platforms they frequent, making the UAE’s presence feel immersive and aspirational.

“The value of the influencer economy lies in its authenticity and the high levels of engagement it fosters,” she says. This can translate into “stronger brand recall and deep, meaningful interactions”.

Tourism boards in the region are looking to popular global influencers in a bid to counter the images travelers see online related to conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East.

However, international hubs such as Dubai, located in countries that are not involved in a conflict, and which are not imposing visa or transport sanctions, are generally not negatively affected or may even profit, says Michael Widmann, the Vienna-based global CEO of the PKF hospitality group and AGBI columnist.

Engaging with influencers does come with risks, however.

Marwa Kaabour, group head of marketing and corporate communication at family conglomerate Al Masaood, says these can include “over-commercialisation, potential reputational damage from controversial figures, and the challenge of ensuring a consistent and authentic brand narrative”.

MrBeast himself is not free from controversy. In July, he hired investigators after his former co-host was accused of grooming a teenager. In November, the lawyers concluded that the allegations were “without basis”.

He is also being sued by contestants on his upcoming TV show Beast Games, along with production companies and the streamer Amazon Prime Video. Five contestants allege they were “shamelessly exploited” during filming and have filed a lawsuit in Los Angeles.

These episodes highlight the potential dangers of working with online celebrities who can rise to fame without being subjected to the same scrutiny as a film or music star.

Mahdy says: “This influencer-heavy approach also demands rigorous brand safety management. As [communications professionals] build and optimise these partnerships, our role is to continuously assess and vet influencers to maintain brand alignment and minimise reputational risks.”