Planters Is Spicing Things Up with Two New Cheez Ball Flavors

Remember when Planters built an entire Super Bowl ad campaign around killing Mr. Peanut? And how they then had to pause that campaign when Kobe Bryant died because whatever ad agency came up to the idea didn’t consider what would happen if someone famous passed away while they were trying to build buzz for an ad that ultimately existed to reveal a boring knockoff of Baby Yoda? Good times.

Regardless of whether or not Mr. Peanut is actually “dead” (for what is death to a brand mascot who never attained autonomy or consciousness?), the flow of new Planters products must continue. That’s where two new spicy versions of their Cheez Balls come in.

Spotted by Instagram account @TheJunkFoodAisle, who presumably spends a lot of time scouring junk food aisles, it looks like Planters is about to bless us with both Blazin’ Hot and Jalapeño Cheddar flavored Cheez Balls. Each would seem to take the familiar formula (albeit in a 2.75 ounce can that a true cheese ball fanatic could probably polish off in one sitting), spicing things up and tweaking the aesthetics of the Cheez Ball a bit to let you know what kind of flavor you’re dealing with.

Rather ironically given the company’s recent marketing approach, Planters’ Cheez Balls were only revived from the dead last year. Discontinued in 2006, their 2019 return was a dream come true for cheese lovers. Now, Planters is turning up the heat and offering enhanced flavors for anyone who’s not too cowardly for spicy food.

When will these hit store shelves? What will they cost? We just don’t know yet. But if Mr. Peanut can fake his own death only to reappear on the can of a product that has nothing to do with peanuts, I guess anything is possible.