<b>IShowSpeed and Dr. Squatch launch wild $1M giveaway that requires fans to bark, race and hunt for cash</b>

IShowSpeed is putting his fans in a very strange position. They could end up chasing hidden soap briefcases, racing random strangers, or standing inside a store and barking at a Dr. Squatch display. And yes, there is real money involved. The YouTube star has joined Dr. Squatch for SPEEDRUN: Million Dollar Mission, a nine-week campaign with a $1 million prize pool. It runs from August 31 to October 31 across the US, Canada, UK and Australia. More than 4,000 Walmart stores and selected retail partners will act as challenge spots during the event.The IShowSpeed challenges are where things get weirdThe campaign has 25 challenges, and some are very much built around Speed’s chaotic style. One task asks participants to challenge a random stranger to a footrace. Another asks them to bark at a Dr. Squatch retail display. There is no normal way to do this, apparently.Fans have to record themselves completing a challenge, then post the attempt on TikTok, Instagram or YouTube. They also need to tag Dr. Squatch and use #MillionDollarMission. So the challenge itself is only part of the game. The entry has to become content too.Dr. Squatch is hiding cash inside soap briefcasesThe bigger hunt comes with actual briefcases. Dr. Squatch is hiding them in select cities across the four countries involved. Inside are gold bars of soap, and each briefcase can lead to a surprise cash prize worth as much as $50,000. New clues will be released during the campaign to help people find them.There is another $250,000 up for grabs through 25 winning scratchers. Each one is worth $10,000. The scratchers are placed in specially marked IShowSpeed Loot Box Bundles on TikTok Shop. People can also request one free through the campaign website without buying anything.The nine-week event is set to finish with a final hunt worth another $250,000. Dr. Squatch has not revealed how that ending will work yet, which leaves the biggest part of the giveaway still under wraps.Where did this giveaway idea come from?Dr. Squatch Chief Brand Officer John Ludeke explained the thinking behind the whole thing. Instead of running a normal ad campaign, the brand decided to “hide a million dollars” and let fans chase it themselves. He also said the goal was to get Speed’s community “off the sidelines” and actually playing, creating and chasing the challenges together.Speed is clearly into the idea too. “I want that briefcase,” he said, after describing the million-dollar hunt as being on another level.The project was developed with MSCHF, the company behind viral stunts such as Big Red Boots. It also fits Dr. Squatch’s recent run of odd collaborations. Earlier in August, the brand worked with Tajin on Mango Tango soap, then partnered with Pabst Blue Ribbon on Blue Ribbon Breeze soap made with PBR lager.So, yes, barking in a store is now part of the plan. But the real question is how far people will go once the cash hunts, scratchers and final $250,000 challenge begin.Catch the latest World News and Live updates. Download the TOI app.