Planters paused its Super Bowl campaign centered around the fictitious Mr. Peanut’s death following the deaths of Kobe Bryant, his daughter, and seven others in a helicopter crash.
“We are saddened by this weekend’s news and Planters has paused all campaign activities, including paid media, and will evaluate next steps through a lens of sensitivity to those impacted by this tragedy,” the brand said in a statement Monday.
As of Monday, it remained unclear how the brand would proceed with its marketing strategy leading up to the Super Bowl. There are currently no plans to change the Super Bowl spot, which is set to show a funeral for Mr. Peanut.
Planters killed off its Mr. Peanut spokesnut in a pregame ad, “Road Trip,” that first appeared online on Jan. 21. In the 30-second spot, Mr. Peanut was ejected from his Nutmobile along with actors Wesley Snipes and Matt Walsh, then let go of the branch the three were hanging onto, plummeting to the ground and exploding, along with his vehicle.