The Internet Tried to Exile Pitbull to Alaska — He Showed Up and Threw a Party

In the summer of 2012, energy drink brand Sheets teamed up with Walmart for a seemingly straightforward promotion: fans could vote on Facebook for their local Walmart, and rapper Pitbull would visit whichever store got the most likes. Simple enough — until the internet got involved.

Operation #ExilePitbull

Boston Phoenix writer David Thorpe and Something Awful columnist Jon Hendren launched a campaign with a single, beautiful goal: send Pitbull to the most remote Walmart in the entire United States. They rallied Twitter under the hashtag #ExilePitbull, and the internet answered with enthusiasm.

Their target was Kodiak, Alaska — a small city of about 6,000 people on an island accessible only by boat or plane, where all supplies arrive by container ship. The local Walmart racked up over 70,000 Facebook likes, more than ten times the island's population.

Pitbull's Response

When the results came in, Pitbull didn't flinch. He posted a video message saying he would go anywhere in the world for his fans and made good on the promise. On July 30, 2012, he touched down in Kodiak — white fur-lined parka and all — to a crowd of locals who'd gathered at the Walmart parking lot.

He performed at the U.S. Coast Guard Base for roughly 250 people, posed for photos with families and children, and danced alongside Alutiiq Native performers. The city's mayor, Pat Branson, presented him with the key to the city, a bear-repellent kit, and a set of bear bells.

The Move That Made It Legendary

Here's the part that elevated this from a funny story to an internet legend: Pitbull personally paid to fly David Thorpe to Kodiak. When Walmart and Sheets declined to cover the organizer's travel, Pitbull picked up the tab himself and invited Thorpe to join him for the trip.

Thorpe later wrote about the experience, calling the rapper a good dude and describing a genuinely warm encounter. What could have been an awkward corporate damage-control moment became one of the most celebrated displays of good humor in internet history.

Why It Still Resonates

The Kodiak Walmart saga endures because it broke the script. Internet pranks rarely end with everyone smiling. Pitbull had every reason to be annoyed — or to quietly cancel the whole thing. Instead, he leaned in, treated the residents of a remote Alaskan island to a show they never expected, and turned his would-be trolls into fans. Over a decade later, it remains the gold standard for how to handle the internet's chaos with grace.