Given that it was one of the biggest movies of 2019, it’s probably no surprise that Avengers: Endgame has inspired numerous creators since hitting theaters last April. But perhaps the strangest thing inspired by the Marvel film is the recent death of Planters’ mascot Mr. Peanut. Last week, the brand took to Twitter to announce that, after 104 years of serving as the face of Planters, the bespectacled peanut had perished — seemingly in an attempt 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
— Mr. Peanut (@MrPeanut) January 22, 2020
Many were baffled by the announcement. After all, what in the world was Mr. Peanut involved in that required a noble sacrifice? What kind of life has he been living these last 104 years?
According to Mike Pierantozzi, group creative director at VaynerMedia, the creative agency for Planters, the whole idea stemmed from Avengers: Endgame. Speaking to MSN, Pierantozzi expressed that the company wanted to see what sort of reaction Mr. Peanut’s death would receive, and whether it would be anything like the response to Iron Man’s death in Endgame.
"We started talking about how the internet treats when someone dies — specifically, we were thinking about fictional characters, [like when] Iron Man died. When Iron Man died, we saw an incredible reaction on Twitter and on social media. It’s such a strange phenomenon."
Evidently, this led the creative team to wonder, “What would happen and how would the world react if passed away?”
Whatever inspired the campaign, it certainly did draw attention to the brand and its mascot — even if it wasn’t necessarily on the same level as Iron Man’s death. Apparently, the company had intended to follow up the tweet with a Super Bowl commercial showcasing the peanut’s funeral. Given the tragic death of former Lakers player Kobe Bryant, however, Planters decided to forego those plans.
According to The A.V. Club, a company spokesperson said, “We wanted you to know that 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.”
Their decision is a respectful one and probably for the best — though we have to wonder what on Earth a funeral for Mr. Peanut would have even looked like. (Actually, never mind. We’re not sure we want to know.)
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