The Branded-Baby Boom
I don’t have kids, but I love these adorable advertisements
Mr. Peanut wasn’t born; he was hatched, fully-formed, from the mind of a 14-year-old boy who entered a contest held by Planters Chocolate and Nut Company in 1916 to design a new mascot. “Mr. P. Nut Planter from Virginia” was a high-class legume with a knowing smirk. He carried his own briefcase and cane but was still young, with a spring in his step. More than a century later, Mr. Peanut was wizened and worldly in his monocle, top hat, and spats. He had seen war, he had known loss, and then, he was gone.
About a week and a half before the recent Super Bowl, Planters announced the death of Mr. Peanut via Twitter. On game day, they ran an ad that begins with Mr. Peanut’s funeral — notable attendees include Mr. Clean, Wesley Snipes, Veep’s Matt Walsh, and the Kool-Aid Man, who sheds a tear for his friend. The tears fall on Mr. Peanut’s peanut-shaped grave, the clouds part, and a beam of sunlight materializes. A baby peanut emerges from the ground, clad in Mr. Peanut’s signature top hat, making dolphin noises. Suddenly, it speaks in the voice of Mr. Peanut, “Just kidding, I’m back.” The hashtag #BabyNut appears on-screen. He is risen.
As advertising, the campaign was a success; we wouldn’t shut up about an anthropomorphized nut for nearly two weeks. But reviews…
