Mr. Peanut May Need a Harder Shell for Super Bowl Return

Posted by Reinaldo Massengill on Sunday, March 17, 2024

Things are going to get salty for Mr. Peanut in this year’s Super Bowl.

The elegant legume, who was killed off in a Big Game marketing stunt in 2020, will return to the gridiron spectacle this year for what looks to be an even more challenging prospect. He’s going to get roasted.

The anthropomorphic snack figure has indulged in many recent Super Bowl antics. In 2020, his backers launched a Baby Nut after professing to have done Mr. Peanut in. And in 2019, he appeared in a Super Bowl ad along with Charlie Sheen and Alex Rodriguez.

Now he’s ready for a new level of mischief. “To their credit, Planters has a great sense of humor about this whole thing, and told me to go for it. I went for it,” says Jeff Ross, the comedian known as the Roastmaster General, in an interview. “We will have to see if Mr. Peanut cracks or not.”

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In a teaser ad set to debut Tuesday, the animated Mr. Peanut tries to find out some of the barbs Ross will send his way, but the comic throws him off the set. “You’re not allowed to hear the jokes until the roast,” Ross tells the dapper advertising mascot.

Planters, made by Hormel Foods, intends to underscore the appeal of dry roasted peanuts as a snack., as well as highlight the various flavors it offers. “No one knows more about the art of roasting than the Planters brand, and there’s no legend more worthy of being roasted than Mr. Peanut,” says Rafik Lawendy, head of marketing for Planters, in a prepared statement. “We hope our fans will enjoy delicious peanuts and a good laugh on game day.”

Fans can post their own roasting efforts at PlantersMadeToBeRoasted.com.

Ross says he studies his subject before starting to throw around insults and backhanded compliments. “When I do a roast, I do research. I have to know everything about the subject,” he says. “I watched all the old commercials. I read a lot about Mr. Peanut in history.”

Audiences don’t want to see blood sport. says the comedian, but they do want to see the subject of a roast “squirm a little bit.” Mr. Peanut might be a tough nut to crack, adds Ross. “To his credit, he has a lot of confidence. He’s a guy wearing a top hat and no pants. You really can’t tell him what to do.”

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