Planters debuts Baby Nut - who seems to be a ripoff of Baby Yoda from The Mandalorian - in a Super Bowl ad after killing Mr. Peanut in a previously released spot. The mascot for Planters brand peanuts for 104 years, Mr. Peanut is at once recognisable and a sign of quality for literally millions of nut fans.
Though no one seemed to have any sort of problem with Mr. Peanut’s existence (save for those with nut allergies), Planters made the recent decision to kill off the beloved character. The move made nut enthusiasts everywhere stand up and take notice, as Planters killing off Mr. Peanut was akin to McDonalds killing off Ronald McDonald or Nintendo killing off Mario. One hundred and four years is a very long time for any company to stay with the same mascot, and many were curious to know exactly what Planters had planned, now that they’d successfully killed off Mr. Peanut in such dramatic fashion. To call the move a gamble might seem an exaggeration, given the fact that when it comes to peanuts (as well as a variety of other nuts such as almonds and pecans), Planters retains a very comfortable position in the highly competitive nut industry. Replacing the famed nut would be no easy endeavour, but something was clearly planned.
As of Super Bowl Sunday, Planters have unveiled the future of the well-known brand with its new mascot. In a move that seems a direct attempt to cash in on Disney’s recent run of success with their Baby Yoda (aka The Child) character, the latest Planters advert has revealed that in the wake of the death of Mr. Peanut, Baby Nut has arrived. The ad campaign was launched during the Super Bowl and can now be viewed in full on Baby Nut’s very own Twitter. Check it out:
The 30-second commercial finds a sombre collection of mascots attending Mr. Peanut’s funeral. As was the case in the ad in which Mr. Peanut died, actors Wesley Snipes and Matt Welsh are also on hand, this time with Snipes delivering a stirring eulogy to his fallen comrade. However, it’s only when a stray tear from the grief-stricken Kool-Aid Man falls to the earth that a new dawn arrives. The result is a new peanut plant, and from it a baby nut in Mr. Peanut’s trademark top hat. It appears that Mr. Peanut never really was gone, but for whatever reason, he’s now back as Baby Nut. The new mascot ends the strange commercial by asking where his monocle is, and we are left to wonder exactly where Planters will take this new campaign.
Is Planters hoping to gain ground by aping Disney’s strategy of rejuvenating a familiar character with a baby version? It’s hard to say. Everything about this new campaign seems very tongue in cheek, but that doesn’t mean Planters doesn’t expect it to work. For those who love peanuts, this could be just the sort of thing to cause them to increase the amount of Planters they buy. Whether or not the famed nut company is getting set to launch some sort of baby peanut remains to be seen. For now, the specifics of this new campaign seem a tough nut to crack.
Source: Baby Nut