Logan Paul, KSI, and MrBeast Lauch Lunchly to KO Lunchables

The CPG 2.0 trend has hit school lunches. Mega creators and influencers MrBeast, Logan Paul, and KSI are attempting to disrupt the lunch game with the launch of Lunchly, a prepackaged lunch brand targeting kids, featuring items like mini pizzas, nachos, or crackers paired with MrBeast’s Feastables chocolate bars and Paul and KSI’s Prime Hydration.

Lunchly is positioned as a healthier and higher quality alternative to Kraft Heinz's Lunchables. The brand aims to capture younger consumers by leveraging the founding trio's massive social media followings. For context, if Lunchly can capture some of MrBeast’s 315 million YouTube subscribers, Paul’s 27 million Instagram followers and KSI’s 13 million Instagram followers, the scale could be substantial. Mr. Beast, Logan Paul, and KSI were No. 1, 2 and 3, respectively, on Forbes' list of the top-earning creators last year. 

Lunchables sales have plummeted in recent years as the premade meals fall short on key consumer trends prioritizing food quality and health characteristics over convenience. This makes them a target for Lunchly or other school lunch 2.0 competitors.

Lunchly’s new website takes direct aim at Lunchables with a side-by-side comparison, claiming superiority in taste and nutritional value. This bold positioning suggests an aggressive marketing strategy focused on portraying the brand as a fresher, healthier option for modern families who are more health-conscious but still seeking convenience.

While Kraft Heinz has the benefit of deep corporate resources and plans to reallocate resources to refresh Lunchables marketing, Lunchly has the serious potential to disrupt the grab-and-go lunch. MrBeast, Logan Paul, and KSI have tremendous communities of fans in Gen Z and Gen Alpha, creating a direct line to millions of young consumers who trust them for lifestyle choices. 

My belief is that Lunchly’s community driven sales and marketing will be far stronger than any corporate response Kraft-Heniz can roll out for lunchables.

It is true that Mr. Beast’s company has been addressing legal claims recently and Prime is in a sales slump, possibly linked to claims of having “forever toxins” in its energy drinks. However, unless Lunchly has serious quality control issues, I predict Lunchly will claim significant  market share. Moreover, this may encourage other influencers to target the grab and go lunch space as well. 

Can Capri Sun really compete with Neon Prime Energy and more importantly, the personal connection between potential consumers and Logan Paul and KSI, as well as Mr Beast?

I THINK NOT.

It seems evident that influencer backed brands taking on major corporations is a battle we will increasingly observe in coming months and years. We are early in the trend.