- After the announcement of the death of Mr. Peanut last week, Planters is pausing its Super Bowl campaign in light of the sudden death of basketball icon Kobe Bryant.
- A Planters spokesperson told Business Insider the brand is pausing paid advertising on channels like Twitter and YouTube as well as "some other outreach," following the fatal helicopter that killed Bryant and his young daughter.
- According to the spokesperson, "no change has been made to our plans for Super Bowl Sunday," which is expected to include a funeral segment for Mr. Peanut.
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Less than a week after killing off Mr. Peanut in a Super Bowl pregame ad, Planters is halting the campaign in light of the sudden death of basketball icon Kobe Bryant.
The 104-year-old brand mascot Mr. Peanut "died" in a viral ad that aired on January 21 and featured actors Wesley Snipes and Matt Walsh. Mr. Peanut was expected to be honored in a follow-up funeral commercial slated for the third quarter of the Super Bowl on February 2.
However, in the aftermath of Bryant's death in a fatal helicopter crash on Sunday, Planters is pausing paid advertising for its campaign on channels like Twitter and YouTube as well as suspending "some other outreach," according to a Planters spokesperson.
"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," a Planters spokesperson said in a statement sent to Business Insider.
The spokesperson added that "no change has been made to our plans for Super Bowl Sunday."
AdAge was first to report that Planters was rethinking the campaign.
Nine people - including Bryant and his 13-year-old daughter, Gianna "Gigi" Bryant - were killed in the helicopter crash in Calabasas, California, on Sunday, as first reported by TMZ and later confirmed by outlets including ESPN.
On Twitter, several users posted frustration about receiving promoted ads featuring the death of the fictitious peanut after Bryant's death was announced and called for Planters to halt the campaign.
How about suspending these dead Mr Peanut ads while the nation mourns the loss of Kobe Bryant?
- Kathi Orgeron (@KOrgeron) January 26, 2020