Mr. Peanut Is Downright Roasted In A Planters Super Bowl 2023 Ad
Keeping in line with the Rat Pack vibe of classic Friars Club roasts, Planters' Mr. Peanut finds himself as the butt of all the jokes in the company's "Made To Be Roasted" Super Bowl ad scheduled to air during the third quarter. The 30-second commercial is a mere tease of a 12-minute comedy special featuring roast veterans Natasha Leggero and the Roastmaster General Jeff Ross (via press release).
Mr. Peanut joins an illustrious group of entertainers who have been roasted since comedians Sam Levenson and Joe E. Lewis' inaugural roast in 1950 at the New York Friars Club, initially the Press Agents' Association. In the late 1960s, the roasts became televised on the program "Kraft Music Hall" and later the "Dean Martin Celebrity Roast" both on NBC, where giants in the industry like Bob Hope, Groucho Marx, and Johnny Carson took turns being the roastee and roaster with the Friars' Club motto, "We only roast the ones we love."Mr. Peanut is the latest honoree.
According to CBS News, companies have shelled out $7 million for a 30-second slot. The notoriously pricy ads have often been a mix of jokes and tear-jerkers. Rafik Lawendy, head of marketing for Planters, said that Planters wanted to get the full roast effect, even going so far as to incorporate a live band.
Roasting the big peanut
Pop culture fans may remember that Mr. Peanut died in a tragic accident in January 2020, just before Super Bowl LV. Planters announced his death in a series of tweets, reading, "In the ultimate selfless act, he sacrificed himself to save his friends when they needed him most." Other celebrity brand spokespeople like Mr. Clean and nut-loving companies like Snickers took to Twitter to eulogize the monocle-wearing mascot. Super Bowl viewers witnessed Mr. Peanut being reborn as Baby Nut during an ad. Mr. Peanut references his death it in response to the heavy verbal drumming he receives during the Super Bowl LVII roast.
Using every pun imaginable, the roasters pull no punches attacking the legume for ruining brownies and getting lost under couch cushions. They even shamed him for not wearing pants (via YouTube). Afterward, when he takes the stage, the "biggest legume in the room" quips, "That was brutal. I wish Planters had just killed me off again." Fans interested in testing out their roasting skills were even invited to do so as part of a contest.