Baby Nut, we hardly knew ye.
In 2020, a year in which it can feel like everyone is aging more rapidly than usual, a brand mascot has actually done so. The Baby Nut Planters spokes-legume introduced in February has reemerged, morphing from his infantile character into a 21-year-old. Starting Aug. 11, Baby Nut has made way for Peanut Jr.
Baby Nut was introduced through a rebirth at Mr. Peanut’s funeral during a 2020 Super Bowl commercial spot that aired days after a spot in which Mr. Peanut jumped from a tree branch after a Nutmobile crash to spare passengers Wesley Snipes and Matt Walsh. Kraft Heinz opted to rethink its media strategy for the campaign after Kobe Bryant and eight others died in a helicopter crash days after the debut of the “Road Trip” spot with the Nutmobile crash.
Now, Baby Nut is being replaced. The premise of the latest campaign is to have Peanut Jr. help brand fans celebrate — or dare we say, “shellebrate” — the birthdays that fly by with little fanfare during the coronavirus pandemic.
Baby Nut is transforming into a 21-year-old Peanut Jr. Cue the tie-ins to brands that want to party with the legume now that he’s the legal drinking age in the United States. It seems as though Peanut Jr. will be partying with some adult beverages. No word yet on whether his own beer will be the beverage of choice.
“Peanut Jr. still has a lot to learn, like what his favorite go-to drink is, as he continues to grow up to become a peanut of the people,” the brand stated.