Planters Is Cutting the Super Bowl Commercial of Mr. Peanut’s Death Following Kobe Bryant’s Passing
Last week, news broke that Planters' brand mascot Mr. Peanut had "died." This stunt was all a part of the company's upcoming Super Bowl advertising, but in light of Kobe Bryant's tragic passing, the brand has decided to put a halt on their commercial showing the fictional death and funeral of Mr. Peanut.
In the first teaser of the Planters ad for the big game, Mr. Peanut was riding in a car with actor Matt Walsh and director Wesley Snipes. When the car swerves off of a cliff, the three were hanging on to a tree before Mr. Peanut sacrificed himself and fell into the fiery car wreck.
Sports legend Kobe Bryant died in the flames of a helicopter crash on Sunday alongside eight other passengers. In the wake of this news, Planters is reassessing their Super Bowl marketing campaign.
According to AdAge, the company said in a statement that the news of Kobe's passing caused them to take another look at their advertising process: "We are saddened by this weekend’s news and Planters has paused all campaign activities, including paid media, and will evaluate next steps through a lens of sensitivity to those impacted by this tragedy," a spokesperson for Planters said.
Before this change, Planters was set to have one 30-second commercial spot air before the game in which Mr. Peanut was shown being ejected from the car. Then, during the third quarter, another 30-second slot would show a funeral being held for Mr. Peanut.
As of right now, there is no confirmed information about what Planters will be airing during their commercial slots instead.
You Might Also Like
