• by Sarah Mahoney  @mahoney_sarah, March 11, 2025

With sales finally on the rebound, Hormel is giving its most dapper mascot a starring role in both a Netflix movie and a multibrand media play. Mr. Peanut has been rocking that cane and monocle for decades, and is making his big-screen debut in Netflix’s “The Electric State.” Planters has also fashioned the mascot’s star turn into an ad campaign for both Planters products and the action film.

Mr. Peanut appears with Millie Bobby Brown and Chris Pratt in the film, set in an alternate version of the '90s. Brown plays an orphaned teenager who ventures across America with a cartoon-inspired robot, searching for her younger brother. She encounters Mr. Peanut along the way, voiced by Woody Harrelson.

Hormel tells Marketing Daily the company did not pay for the placement. "AGBO, the production studio, approached us about using the Mr. Peanut character in the film,” Ashley Krautkramer-Gonya, Planters’ senior brand manager, wrote in an email. “We’re pleased that Mr. Peanut’s character's role in the film allowed us to highlight his legacy within the brand to create an emotional connection for consumers and celebrate him for the icon he is.”

Planters didn’t choose Woody Harrelson as the voice of the little legume, but is happy with the result. “We think he does a great job of voicing the robot with a warm, wise, slightly Southern tone,” Krautkramer-Gonya says. The brand persona and the film character “are noble, hospitable, and embody the everyman. The brand has shown up in many ways throughout its history with the commonality that he brings consumers joy (and a tasty snack).”

The brand’s Hollywood moment arrives at a pivotal time for Planters, with Hormel reporting that after a rocky 2024, nut sales appear to be back on track. In addition to commodity prices, the brand got walloped by the unexpected closure of a key production facility.

Hormel’s sales rose 1% in the first quarter, climbing to $2.98 billion.

Hormel says all of its brands benefited from the football-themed “Here for the Snacks” campaign, which the company says represented “a significant shift in how we show up in the retail space,” CEO James Snee said in a call webcast for investors. “We transitioned from individual brand investments to a comprehensive multibrand media plan while capitalizing on a strategic partnership with ESPN.”

Besides Planters, the effort pulled Hormel Pepperoni, Hormel Gatherings, Herdez, Wholly and Hormel Chili into a single campaign.

However, Mr. Peanut might be in for a bit of a bumpy ride, at least in the ego department. “The Electric State” is the sixth film from the ongoing partnership between Netflix and AGBO, the independent studio founded by film directors Anthony and Joe Russo. And while there’s no arguing about the passion of the “Avengers” fan base, critics aren't pulling any punches. The Daily Beast says the film is “like Steven Spielberg threw up on the screen,” while Variety calls the movie “a bland Millie Bobby Brown vehicle.” “Busy and boring,” proclaims the Hollywood Reporter.

Planters isn’t worried. “We have confidence viewers will enjoy stepping into 'The Electric State' world when the film launches,” Krautkramer-Gonya says. “The key messaging of our ads against the legacy and nostalgia of the brand … is still relevant to consumers. He invites connection, which has such a core tie to the themes of the movie.”