• by Richard Whitman , Columnist, January 24, 2022

Two years after using Super Bowl 2020 to kill off its iconic Mr. Peanut mascot (only to have him born again) Planters is back with a plan to use the Big Game to spark what it hopes will be a big debate.

The new effort, set to air in about 30 markets nationwide just before halftime, features comedic duo Ken Jeong and Joel McHale battling to resolve what the brand is positioning as an age-old question: What’s the right way to eat mixed nuts? All at once or one at a time? 

Really? Does anyone eat mixed nuts one at a time? Who knew?

Anyway, Planters has released a teaser ad for the spot, from VaynerMedia, that you can check out here.  VaynerMedia is partnering with PR agency ICF Next and Omnicom media agency PHD on an integrated campaign leading up to Feb. 13. 

Fans will also be encouraged to show how they snack on mixed nuts and whether they are on team “All” like McHale or team “One” like Jeong. They can join the debate by sharing #PlantersAllorOne on social.

This is the brand’s largest marketing push since its sale to Hormel Foods last year. Will it generate as much buzz as killing off its 104-year-old mascot known to virtually every household in America?

Doubt it -- it’s probably not meant to. Opportunities like that happen once every century or so.

Planters skipped the Super Bowl a year ago, instead opting to “shellebrate” with more content distributed throughout the year. It aired national Super Bowl ads in both 2019 and 2020.