A Peanut Brand Just Killed Off Its 104-Year-Old Mascot And Now Its A Huge Meme
"Mr Peanut is dead. Eat the rich."
American brands just love to do wildly dumb marketing stunts to try and generate some free advertising.
IHOP, a popular fast-food breakfast chain, managed to do it in 2018 by announcing a rebranding as IHOb to promote their new menu offering of burgers. Hell, even Popeye’s generated millions in free advertising for their chicken sandwich off just a single tweet.
So it’s really no surprise that another beloved American brand has tried their luck with a quirky little marketing stunt. Today, snack company Planters decided to kill off their beloved, 104-year-old mascot, Mr. Peanut. The geriatric nut was very easily recognisable with his Monopoly Man-esque top hat and classy little monocle.
everybody in 2018: "I can't believe IHOP changed their name from pancakes to burgers. No company will ever have a promotion that's as dumb as them"
2020: *Mr Peanut dies*
— Saberspark (@Saberspark) January 22, 2020
Mr. Peanut drove the famous Nutmobile and was the face of a brand that sold his own kind to the masses. Which, honestly? Raises a few questions over the morality of the capitalistic nature of Planters and Mr. Peanut, but anyway. Today the Mr. Peanut Twitter account was renamed “The Estate of Mr. Peanut” as it announced the mascots fate.
“It is with heavy hearts that we confirm that Mr. Peanut has died at 104,” they tweeted. “In the ultimate selfless act, he sacrificed himself to save his friends when they needed him most.”
It is with heavy hearts that we confirm that Mr. Peanut has died at 104. In the ultimate selfless act, he sacrificed himself to save his friends when they needed him most. Please pay your respects with #RIPeanut pic.twitter.com/VFnEFod4Zp
— The Estate of Mr. Peanut (@MrPeanut) January 22, 2020
Video footage of the fateful moment was shared online, where Mr. Peanut and his friends crash while avoiding an animal on the road. Mr. Peanut sacrifices himself while hanging on a branch that’s about to fall under the weight of three people, and plummets down to the bottom of the pit. His fate is sealed when he falls on the Nutmobile and the entire thing explodes.
We’re devastated to confirm that Mr. Peanut is gone. He died doing what he did best – having people’s backs when they needed him most. #RIPeanut pic.twitter.com/TLNPLzH5UE
— The Estate of Mr. Peanut (@MrPeanut) January 22, 2020
The Brands And The Public
Can you imagine the meeting at the ad agency that did this? some former creative wearing a bucket hat who needed a 9-5 going "we should kill mr peanut" https://t.co/fdRmTgPFzp
— Sarah Hagi (@geekylonglegs) January 22, 2020
Now, I give it about a week before Planters release some kind of roasted nut product and are like, “Haha jokes! Mr. Peanut survived the explosion and is more delicious than ever!” But unfortunately, in what is probably the most cursed aspect of Twitter, other brands have already started “paying their respects” to Mr. Peanut online.
This terrible trend of account managers talking to each other colloquially on brand accounts is taking over Twitter as #RIPeanut continues to trend. Brands have gone so far as to photoshop their products and mascots into memorial posts, in an attempt to capitalise on the conversation happening. And thanks, I absolutely hate it.
If only we could rewind real life. https://t.co/c8q8o6PR5Z
— The Estate of Mr. Peanut (@MrPeanut) January 22, 2020
Today is truly UNO sad day. https://t.co/w8KllCw5dv
— The Estate of Mr. Peanut (@MrPeanut) January 22, 2020
Gone too quik. https://t.co/Vv9ghCsCsT
— The Estate of Mr. Peanut (@MrPeanut) January 22, 2020
However, the general public seem to generally despise the elderly mascot, calling Mr. Peanut a capitalist who deserved what he got.
I shall not mourn the death of Mr. Peanut. A capitalist who feeds his own kind to the machine in order to increase profits is exactly the kind of person who should be yeeted into an explosion #RIPMrPeanut
— نورجہاں پلّا (Pup Noor Jahan) (@PupNoorJahan) January 22, 2020
Mr. Peanut is in Hell. He spent decades as the smiling face of a company that sold the boiled and roasted corpses of his people as a snack
— Patrick Monahan (@pattymo) January 22, 2020
I asked god to remove the fakes from my life and mr peanut died
— $LATER (@notdevito) January 22, 2020
Mr Peanut is dead. Eat the rich.
— sarah schauer 🦂 (@SJSchauer) January 22, 2020
Mr peanut was a bourgeoisie icon and I'm glad he's dead #RIPeanut
— Veggietales Facts (@Veggiefact) January 22, 2020
Others speculated over why Mr. Peanut was killed, claiming that his demise seemed a little too fishy.
They got rid of Mr Peanut because people don't like that type of billionaire anymore. The replacement mascot will likely be some kind of Elon Musk-type peanut.
— King of Cracker Barrel (@plopadop) January 22, 2020
mr peanut was assassinated by the us government for attempting to achieve racial unity through his work with george washington carver. rip to a true ally
— Desus Nice (@desusnice) January 22, 2020
so mr. peanut was 6’1” and he hanged himself from a bunk bed? and the two guards who were supposed to be watching him fell asleep while all this was happening? yeah sorry i don’t buy it
— Andrea More (@amore_orless) January 22, 2020
As those with peanut allergies rejoice over the downfall of their number one enemy, all that the rest of us can do is ask that these brands stop. Please.
— SilenceBrandBOT (@BOTSilenceBrand) January 22, 2020