If you have spent any time scrolling through TikTok, Instagram, YouTube Shorts, or other social platforms, you may have come across a loud, enthusiastic father talking about Costco food, chicken bakes, cookies, and the mysterious power of the “BOOM!”
That man is A.J. Befumo, better known online as A.J. from the Costco Guys or Big A.J. His viral rise is tied closely to his son, Eric Justice Befumo, known online as Big Justice. Together, the father-and-son duo turned ordinary Costco trips and food reviews into one of the internet’s most recognizable family-content brands.
The story is more interesting than a simple viral TikTok. Before Costco became part of his online identity, A.J. had already spent years performing in professional wrestling and later worked in the mortgage business. His son eventually joined his social-media videos, and that father-son chemistry became the foundation for the Costco Guys phenomenon.
So, who is the man behind the viral Costco video? Here’s the full story.
Who Is the Man Behind the Viral Costco Video?
The man is Andrew “A.J.” Befumo Jr., a social-media personality who became widely known as one half of the Costco Guys.
A.J. appears alongside his son Eric, or Big Justice, in videos centered on food, shopping, family entertainment, and product reviews. Their content is particularly associated with Costco, where they developed their recognizable style of reviewing food and other products with exaggerated enthusiasm.
The video that pushed them into mainstream internet culture was posted on March 1, 2024. It followed an existing TikTok format in which people introduced themselves as a particular type of person and then described something they supposedly do “of course.”
A.J. and Big Justice adapted the format around Costco.
That simple idea became the “We’re Costco Guys” video.
Within roughly two weeks, the video had accumulated more than 20 million plays, and later reports put its view count above 46 million. It was subsequently copied, remixed, parodied, and recreated by other users.
Costco Video: Viral Costco Videos, Costco Guys, TikTok Trends & More
Who Is A.J. Befumo?
A.J. Befumo is an American internet personality and former professional wrestler.
Although many people discovered him through Costco videos, social media was not his first experience with entertainment.
Before becoming the face of the Costco Guys, A.J. performed as a professional wrestler on the independent wrestling circuit under the name “The American Powerchild” Eric Justice. His wrestling career became an important part of his identity and later became an unexpected part of the Costco Guys story.
His son Eric’s online nickname, Big Justice, is also connected to that earlier wrestling persona.
A.J. eventually stepped away from wrestling and moved into the mortgage business. He later used social media as part of his professional marketing efforts, creating videos under the character name “Mortgage Muscles.” Those early videos were very different from the energetic Costco content that eventually made him famous.
That background helps explain why A.J. appears so comfortable performing directly toward the camera.
His ability to create a recognizable character, deliver exaggerated reactions, and turn ordinary situations into entertainment was already part of his professional history.
What Was the Viral Costco Video?
The viral video that made the phrase “We’re Costco Guys” famous was a short TikTok featuring A.J. and Big Justice inside Costco.
The basic concept was extremely simple.
Big Justice introduced the idea that they were Costco guys and talked about eating a chicken bake while shopping. A.J. followed by highlighting Costco’s double-chunk chocolate cookie.
The video was based on the broader “We’re X, Of Course We Y” TikTok format, but the father-son delivery made their version stand out.
There was no complicated storyline.
There was no elaborate production.
Instead, the video relied on:
- A father-and-son dynamic
- Costco food
- Extremely enthusiastic delivery
- Repetition
- Simple catchphrases
- A recognizable setting
- Short-form video timing
That combination proved highly shareable.
Once other TikTok users started recreating the format, the original video became more than a Costco clip. It became an internet meme.
How Did A.J. Become Known as a Costco Guy?
The Costco identity developed before the March 2024 viral video.
One of the important steps was an earlier Costco shopping video featuring A.J. and Big Justice. Their content around Costco began gaining traction, and the March video eventually turned the pair into recognizable internet personalities.
The important distinction is that A.J. did not simply become famous because he walked into Costco and filmed himself eating food.
The audience connected with the format.
A.J. and Big Justice had a recurring personality. They behaved as though even a routine shopping trip was a major event. They treated Costco food reviews almost like sports commentary.
That approach gave viewers something familiar to return to.
Once people understood the format, they could recognize a Costco Guys video within seconds.
Who Is Big Justice?
Big Justice is Eric Justice Befumo, A.J.’s son and the other central figure behind the Costco Guys.
He is not simply a side character in his father’s videos. The father-son relationship is fundamental to the identity of the channel.
According to reporting about the family’s rise, Eric became interested in appearing in his father’s videos after seeing other kids around him making YouTube content. His involvement helped transform A.J.’s earlier social-media efforts into something much more personal and entertaining.
One early video featuring Eric and his father helped demonstrate that audiences responded differently when the two appeared together.
From there, their content increasingly focused on food, family, shopping, and eventually Costco.
The chemistry between A.J. and Big Justice became one of the most recognizable elements of the brand.
What Does “We’re Costco Guys” Mean?
“We’re Costco Guys” became the phrase most closely associated with A.J. and Big Justice.
It started as part of their viral March 2024 TikTok, but quickly developed into something larger than the original video.
Fans began using the phrase in memes, remixes, duets, recreations, and parody videos. Other creators reproduced the basic structure, while some simply used the audio or catchphrases associated with the Costco Guys.
The phrase works because it is extremely simple.
Someone doesn’t need to know the entire history of the Costco Guys to understand the joke.
The moment a person says “We’re Costco Guys,” viewers who recognize the meme immediately understand the reference.
That is one of the characteristics of a successful internet catchphrase: it becomes recognizable outside its original context.
What Is the “Boom or Doom” Costco Rating?
Another major part of the Costco Guys identity is their “Boom or Doom” rating system.
The idea is straightforward.
A product they like gets a “BOOM!”
Something they don’t like can receive a “DOOM!”
The exaggerated rating system became part of their recurring content and eventually became almost as recognizable as the Costco Guys name itself.
What makes the format effective is its simplicity.
Traditional food reviews might discuss texture, flavor, price, ingredients, portion size, and value.
The Costco Guys can reduce the reaction to one dramatic word.
BOOM!
That makes the content easy to understand even when someone sees only a few seconds of a video.
The rating also gives viewers a reason to watch until the end. People want to see what final verdict the food receives.
Why Did the Costco Video Go Viral?
There was no single reason for the video’s success.
Several elements came together at the right time.
The Father-Son Chemistry
A.J. and Big Justice don’t look like a traditional food-review team.
They look like a dad and son having fun together.
That family dynamic became central to their appeal and helped separate their content from standard product-review videos.
Costco Is Already a Recognizable Brand
Costco does not need much explanation.
Millions of people already understand the warehouse, food court, shopping carts, bulk products, and famous food items.
That means viewers can understand the setting immediately.
The creators didn’t have to spend time explaining what Costco was.
They could get straight to the joke.
Food Content Is Highly Shareable
Food is one of the easiest subjects to turn into short-form video.
People want to know what something tastes like.
They want to see large portions.
They want to discover new products.
And they often have strong opinions about familiar foods.
The Costco Guys combined those natural interests with comedy.
The Catchphrases Were Easy to Remember
“BOOM,” “DOOM,” “chicken bake,” “double chunk chocolate cookie,” and “We’re Costco Guys” became pieces of a recognizable vocabulary.
Once viewers learned the phrases, they could participate in the joke.
The Format Was Easy to Copy
Another reason the video spread was that other creators could recreate it.
People made duets, lip-sync versions, edits, drawings, and other adaptations of the original video.
That’s an important part of meme culture.
A viral video becomes much larger when the audience can create something from it.
What Was A.J. Befumo Doing Before the Costco Videos?
A.J.’s background is one of the more interesting parts of the story.
He previously worked as an independent professional wrestler under the name The American Powerchild Eric Justice. He eventually stepped away from wrestling and moved into the mortgage industry.
In the mortgage business, he experimented with social media marketing.
He created a character called Mortgage Muscles and used TikTok to post mortgage-related videos.
That effort did not produce the same level of attention as the Costco Guys.
The major change came when his son became involved.
A.J. later described the earlier mortgage-focused content as feeling less natural, while the family videos gave the channel a different energy.
This is an important part of the Costco Guys story because it shows that A.J. was not an overnight internet personality with no previous experience.
He had already spent years learning performance, marketing, video creation, and audience engagement.
Costco simply became the setting where those skills finally connected with a large audience.
How the Costco Guys Became an Internet Trend
After the viral video, A.J. and Big Justice expanded the format.
They reviewed more food.
They filmed additional Costco content.
They developed recurring jokes.
They introduced additional family members and collaborators.
The world around the Costco Guys gradually became recognizable in its own right.
The duo also released “We Bring The BOOM!” in July 2024, turning one of their most recognizable catchphrases into a song. The track incorporated references to their food reviews, family, gym content, and Boom-or-Doom concept.
The success also moved the Costco Guys beyond TikTok.
They appeared on television, participated in other creator collaborations, and became connected to professional wrestling again.
In 2024, A.J. returned to the wrestling ring through All Elite Wrestling, appearing at AEW Full Gear alongside Big Justice and The Rizzler.
That was a full-circle moment.
The man who had once performed as a professional wrestler was now returning to wrestling because of a career that began with social-media videos.
Costco Food Court and Viral Videos
The Costco food court has become one of the most recognizable settings associated with Costco Guys content.
The reason is obvious: food gives the videos something concrete to review.
Pizza, hot dogs, chicken bakes, desserts, drinks, and other food-court items provide an endless supply of potential reactions.
But the Costco Guys did something slightly different from ordinary food reviewers.
They turned the review into a performance.
Instead of simply saying that an item tastes good, A.J. and Big Justice can turn the reaction into a dramatic BOOM.
That makes the video entertaining even for people who aren’t planning to eat the food.
Their approach also helped contribute to a larger internet culture around Costco food-court videos, Costco Finds, shopping hauls, product discoveries, and food hacks.
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Is the Viral Costco Video an Official Costco Advertisement?
The “We’re Costco Guys” video should be understood as creator content from A.J. and Big Justice rather than simply assuming that every viral Costco video is an official Costco advertisement.
The distinction matters.
A video can be filmed inside a Costco and feature Costco products without automatically being an official advertisement.
The Costco Guys have, however, described having a relationship with Costco and partnerships involving brands sold within Costco. In a podcast appearance, A.J. discussed Costco recognizing them as the Costco Guys and connecting them with brands for content opportunities.
That means the relationship between the creators and the retailer can be more complicated than the original viral video suggests.
For readers seeing an individual Costco video online, it is still useful to check whether the content is:
- Independent creator content
- Sponsored content
- Brand collaboration
- Official Costco content
- A parody or meme
Not every video using the Costco name comes directly from Costco.
Why People Search for the Man Behind the Costco Video
The viral video created a situation where the character became famous before many viewers knew the person behind it.
Someone might recognize:
“BOOM!”
They might recognize:
“We’re Costco Guys.”
They might recognize Big Justice.
But they may not know A.J.’s real name.
That’s why searches such as “Who is the man behind the viral Costco video?” make sense.
The audience is essentially moving backward from the meme to the person.
Who is he?
Where did he come from?
Why does he act like that?
Was he already famous?
Is he actually a wrestler?
Who is the kid appearing beside him?
Those questions eventually lead back to A.J. Befumo.
Where Can People Find the Costco Guys Online?
The Costco Guys maintain a presence across several major social platforms.
Their official Linktree currently directs visitors to their TikTok, Instagram, YouTube, Snapchat, X, and Twitch accounts.
The main social identity is associated with A.J. and Big Justice, rather than A.J. operating as an entirely separate creator.
This is important because the Costco Guys brand has expanded beyond one viral TikTok.
The duo now represents a broader collection of videos, music, collaborations, family appearances, food reviews, and entertainment projects.
For anyone trying to find the original content, checking the creators’ verified or officially linked social accounts is safer than relying on reposted clips.
Latest Costco Guys and Costco Video Trends in 2026
The Costco Guys phenomenon has continued beyond the original 2024 viral moment.
By 2026, the duo is no longer simply known for one Costco TikTok. Their online identity has expanded into a broader entertainment brand.
A.J.’s return to professional wrestling was one of the most unusual developments because it connected his old career with his new internet identity. His AEW appearance demonstrated how a social-media personality could move into a completely different entertainment environment while keeping the same “BOOM” branding.
Their content has also continued to generate discussions and reactions online.
For example, A.J. addressed a resurfaced trolling clip in 2026 involving the duo’s Boom rating format. The episode demonstrated how older Costco Guys clips can continue circulating and acquire new context long after the original videos were posted.
The larger trend is also worth noticing.
Costco videos are no longer limited to the Costco Guys.
Creators regularly post:
- Costco food reviews
- Costco shopping hauls
- Costco Finds
- Food-court videos
- Product comparisons
- New-item reactions
- Costco hacks
- Viral Costco memes
- Short-form reviews
The Costco Guys helped make this style of content highly recognizable, but the wider Costco content ecosystem includes thousands of creators.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is the man in the viral Costco video?
The man is A.J. Befumo, also known as Big A.J. He is one half of the father-and-son social-media duo known as the Costco Guys. His son, Eric Justice Befumo, is known online as Big Justice.
What is A.J. Befumo’s real name?
His full name is publicly reported as Andrew “A.J.” Befumo Jr. He is widely known online simply as A.J. or Big A.J.
Who is Big Justice?
Big Justice is Eric Justice Befumo, A.J. Befumo’s son. He became a central part of the Costco Guys’ videos and is one of the main reasons the father-son format became recognizable.
Are the Costco Guys related?
Yes. A.J. and Big Justice are father and son. Their family relationship is a major part of their online content.
What does Boom or Doom mean?
“Boom or Doom” is the rating concept used by the Costco Guys when reviewing food and other products. A Boom represents a positive reaction, while Doom represents a negative one.
Why did the Costco Guys become famous?
Their popularity came from a combination of Costco content, food reviews, father-son chemistry, exaggerated reactions, memorable catchphrases, and short-form video formats that were easy for other users to remix and recreate. Their March 2024 “We’re Costco Guys” video became their major breakout moment.
Is the Costco Guys content real or scripted?
The videos are produced entertainment content, so they are made for an audience and follow recurring formats. That does not by itself establish that every reaction is scripted or spontaneous. The safest description is that the Costco Guys have developed a recognizable entertainment format around family interactions, food reviews, and recurring catchphrases.
Are the Costco Guys officially associated with Costco?
The creators have publicly discussed having a relationship with Costco and working with brands within Costco. However, an individual viral video should not automatically be treated as an official Costco advertisement.
Was A.J. a wrestler before becoming famous on TikTok?
Yes. A.J. previously wrestled professionally on the independent circuit under the name The American Powerchild Eric Justice. He later returned to wrestling after becoming famous as part of the Costco Guys, including an AEW appearance in 2024.
What is the “We’re Costco Guys” video?
It is the March 2024 TikTok featuring A.J. and Big Justice using the “We’re X, Of Course We Y” format while talking about Costco shopping and food. The video became a major meme and was recreated by other users across social media.
Conclusion
The answer to “Who Is the Man Behind the Viral Costco Video?” is A.J. Befumo, but his story is bigger than one viral clip.
A.J. had already experienced professional wrestling and worked in the mortgage industry before his social-media career took off. His online breakthrough came when his son, Eric “Big Justice” Befumo, became part of the content. Together, they created a recognizable father-and-son format built around Costco, food reviews, humor, and the now-famous BOOM catchphrase.
The March 2024 “We’re Costco Guys” video transformed that format into an internet meme. From there, the duo expanded into music, television appearances, collaborations, and professional wrestling.
What began as a father and son filming Costco content became a recognizable piece of internet culture.
And that’s why the man in the viral Costco video is worth knowing by more than just his catchphrase: A.J. Befumo is the former wrestler and content creator behind one of the internet’s most recognizable Costco personalities.