Planters has killed off the beloved branding device, or rather the anthropomorphic legume has “
sacrificed himself” in a humanlike act of selflessness. The tragedy occurred in a 30-second pre-Super-Bowl
spot
that features Mr. Peanut and his friends (Matt Walsh and Wesley Snipes,
for some reason) swerving off a cliff to avoid hitting an armadillo
with their Nutmobile (exactly what it sounds like).
The branch the trio cling to threatens to snap, so Mr. Peanut lets go — and good night, sweet snack.
The
unexpected demise of Mr. Peanut is a marketing gimmick, of course, and
boy, does it work. The very existence of this column is a sign of
complete surrender to the corporate geniuses who dispatched, at the age
of 104, a mascot who was basically a protein-packed brother to Mr.
Monopoly.
Humanity’s
first white flag to this arrived in the form of tweets. Many came from
real, live, non-peanut people: “Will his body be … planted or roasted?”
one mused. Many others, though, came from Mr. Peanut’s band of brothers —
or is it brand?
“What? NO! We’re dropping a Reverse Card on this,” UNO, the card game,
cried out.
Even PETA laid down
a virtual rose for what it called “a splendid source of protein to vegans everywhere. ”
This
was like “Toy Story,” only for corporate Twitter — the accounts
assembled as a cast of characters, each one more powerful when
surrounded by others than they could ever be alone...
Mr.
Peanut might have perished alone as a sales ploy, but his buddies leaped
in to save him — and now everyone, including the deceased, looks more
vital than ever.
This
week’s spot is a teaser for a “funeral” to take place during the Super
Bowl proper, and Planters is urging everyone to attend. Imagine the
Geico Gecko weeping over his fallen comrade’s grave just after the first
quarter, when up from the ground springs the first sprout of Mr.
Next-Gen Peanut.
The brands have created their own little world, and the rest of us just live in it.
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