Marketing

Planters Mascot Hits Next Life Milestone and Celebrates His 21st Birthday


Today, Baby Nut—the reincarnated version of snack brand Planters’ iconic mascot—is celebrating his 21st birthday. That milestone comes just over six months after his rebirth, which occurred during a Super Bowl spot earlier this year. After Mr. Peanut, then 104 years old, met his demise in a Nut Mobile crash, he was born again after a tear from the Kool-Aid Man landed on his cemetery plot during his funeral.

After about six months—or over two decades in peanut time—Baby Nut is growing up, though he’s left us a bit earlier than expected. In April, Planters told Adweek that Baby Nut would be around for at least a year, “potentially longer,” before growing up into Mr. Peanut.

Now, he’s Peanut Jr., and his time-defying aging is due to “a magical growth spurt that caused him to grow from a baby legume to 21-year-old Peanut Jr.,” according to a statement from Planters.

“The spirit and wisdom of Mr. Peanut continues to live on in Peanut Jr. as he embarks on this nutty stage of life,” the company continued.

To celebrate Peanut Jr.’s birthday, Planters is hosting a contest to celebrate along with those who missed out on their own celebrations due to the ongoing novel coronavirus pandemic. From Aug. 11 through Aug. 24, people can enter the contest by sharing their dream birthday gift in a tweet tagged #MakeMyBirthdayNuts #Sweepstakes. Three winners will receive $2,100 delivered to them by the Nut Mobile.

Like Baby Nut before him, Peanut Jr. will continue to be active on social media, this time under the handle @MrPeanut. A spokesperson for the brand said that the nut will need help figuring out his favorite drink now that he’s reached this next stage in his life. (A shame for Peanut Jr. that bars are still closed in many parts of the country due to the pandemic still.)

Samantha Hess, brand manager for Planters, told Adweek in the days following the Super Bowl that Mr. Peanut’s death was inspired by an idea to create a refreshed love for the mascot, who had been with the company for decades.

“There is this renewed appreciation for these fictional characters after their death, and then they come back with a renewed sense of purpose to what they’re doing, which helps to set up something bigger and a little bit different,” she said.

It was a short run for the adorable Baby Nut, but he did manage to make an appearance on Planters packaging during his six months in the spotlight.

At this rate, Mr. Peanut is set to pass his previous age of 104 in a few short years—that is, in human time.





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