BOISE, Idaho \u2014 Albertsons Media Collective<\/a>, the retail media arm for\u00a0Albertsons\u00a0Companies<\/a>, Inc., has opened a new lane for brands inside its retail media network and pioneered a category for the industry: episodic, scripted branded entertainment, co-created with retailer shopper intelligence and distributed across the Albertsons Media Collective platform. <\/p>\n Through Albertsons Media Collective, brands can now bring a creative idea to the table and tap combined insights of shopper needs and key missions pairing a brand\u2019s own retail performance insights at Albertsons Cos. with the retailer\u2019s expertise in shopper and category buying patterns to inform the campaign creative. Procter & Gamble (P&G) is the strategic co-development partner for the inaugural work under this model, bringing its deep consumer knowledge and entertainment heritage to the Minivela drama,\u00a0Rico\u2019s Tacos.<\/em><\/p>\n The result is a shift in what retail media can be: not a place to run an ad after it is made, but a place where content is curated and distributed. Albertsons Cos. co-created and filmed the Minivela drama with P&G and its production partner Brilla Media at Albertsons Cos. stores featuring real in-store associates. The retailer, in collaboration with Albertsons Media Collective, is further investing in amplifying\u00a0Rico\u2019s Tacos\u00a0<\/em>across its owned and social media channels.<\/p>\n \u201cThe brands that will win are the ones that connect with shoppers in relevant, everyday moments,\u201d said Lela Coffey, Vice President, User Growth Acceleration at P&G. \u201cWhat makes this collaboration notable is that the creative was developed with Albertsons Cos. using shopper insights at the outset, rather than applying data only after the work is made. That creates a closer link between the story, the audience, and the commercial outcome.\u201d<\/p>\n Minivela Drama: The First Proof Point<\/strong><\/p>\n Rico\u2019s Tacos<\/em>\u00a0is the result of strategic co-creation between Albertsons Cos. and P&G. Albertsons Cos. contributed its shopper intelligence, retail media network and in-store production environment, while P&G brought its deep consumer knowledge and entertainment expertise. The result is creative informed by a shared understanding of consumer needs and shopping behaviors from the outset, rather than data applied after the work is complete.<\/p>\n “The idea for\u00a0Rico’s Tacos<\/em>\u00a0emerged directly from the shopper insights and cultural intelligence shared by Albertsons Companies and P&G,\u201d said Manny Ruiz, CEO of Minivela, and showrunner of\u00a0Rico’s Tacos<\/em>. \u201cThose insights became the creative spark that shaped the franchise from the very beginning and continued to inform its development throughout the process. What makes this project so significant is that we’re not simply using data to optimize advertising\u2014we’re using insights to inspire entertainment. By bringing together retail media, consumer understanding, creators, brands, and storytelling, we’ve created a new model for developing and distributing original content. We believe this is only the beginning of what’s possible.\u201d<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/storage.ghost.io\/c\/d5\/56\/d5565e70-3c67-4547-9c79-7758ce6fc700\/content\/images\/2026\/06\/Rico-s-Tacos-3.jpg\")
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