Planters has killed off its 104-year-old spokesnut and plans to hold the character's funeral during the Super Bowl.
Mr. Peanut met his fate saving the lives of Wesley Snipes and Matt Walsh in a pregame ad depicting a road trip in the character’s Nutmobile gone wrong. That ad appeared on Tuesday, for a few hours at least, on the Mr. Peanut Twitter feed.
Now, Planters says that “Road Trip” ad is a pregame spot, not the in-game commercial as viewers were led to believe. A separate spot featuring Mr. Peanut’s funeral will run in the game “so the world can mourn the loss of the beloved legume together,” Planters said.
“It’s with heavy hearts that we confirm Mr. Peanut has passed away at 104 years old,” Samantha Hess, Planters Brand Manager at Kraft Heinz, said in a statement. “He will be remembered as the legume who always brought people together for nutty adventures and a good time. We encourage fans to tune in to Mr. Peanut’s funeral during the third quarter of the Super Bowl to celebrate his life.”
Along with its VaynerMedia campaign, Planters is doing a variety of other promotional efforts. It says people who spot the Nutmobile up until Super Bowl Sunday will receive a pin celebrating Mr. Peanut’s life. It’s asking people to post on social media with the hashtag #RIPeanut. And there is set to be some commemorative packaging to be won next week.
After all, what’s a funeral for a centenarian character without some swag?
We'll take bets on whether Mr. Peanut returns, much like the Bud Light knight did after meeting his fate in a Super Bowl spot last year.
Join Ad Age on Jan. 28 as we bring together some of the top brands, agencies and creatives, including Hyundai, BBDO, Sabra hummus, Madonna Badger, Pop-Tarts and WeatherTech, to discuss what it takes to pull off a Super Bowl commercial.
