• by Karlene Lukovitz  @KLmarketdaily, January 23, 2019

This morning, Planters released a Super Bowl LIII teaser video revealing that major league baseball legend Alex Rodriguez will mix it up with the brand’s smart-aleck mascot, Mr. Peanut, in this year’s big game ad. 

The teaser (below) shows the now-retired Rodriguez, aka “A-Rod,” mouth-catching nuts thrown by Mr. Peanut, as both relax on a sofa. End message: “Game day’s gonna get nutty.” 

A still image released with the teaser video (above) hints that the game ad, created by VaynerMedia and set to air in the game’s second quarter, will not confine itself to a living room setting.

The Kraft Heinz brand recently announced that it would be back in the Super Bowl for the first time since 2008, teasing that the ad would feature a “mystery celebrity.” 

Along with today’s Rodriguez reveal, Planters is indicating that the game ad shows the lengths to which Mr. Peanut is willing to go to give fans a “crunchy and satisfying” salty snack. 

The release also stresses the idea that Mr. Peanut “has your back,” which appears to be a conceptual extension of the brand’s 2018 “Wing Nut” campaign theme.