Yes, you read that correctly the longtime ambassador for Planters Peanuts has died. 

Here is footage of his heroic death. The footage will be featured in a upcoming television commercial during the Super Bowl on Feb.2

Planters Peanuts and Mr. Peanut has had a longtime connection to Northeast Pennsylvania. 

Mr Peanut

Mr. Peanut is shown participating in a parade in this undated photograph. Times-Tribune Archives

Planters Peanuts got its start in Scranton. The company’s founder Amedeo Obici immigrated to the United States in 1888 as a young boy and found his way to Scranton. While in Scranton, he found work in a cigar factory. Sometime later he would start selling fruits and nuts on the streets of the Electric City. 

From there he would move his business to Wilkes-Barre. Once in the WB, the selling of fruit and nuts evolved into a peanut roasting business. From that point the business continued to grow. Opening an office under the name Planters, he expanded and added processing plants in San Francisco, Toronto and Suffolk, Virginia.   

In those early days, Obici announced that his company was in need of trademark to represent the growing brand. In 1916, he announced a contest seeking designs for said representation. 

Tony Gentile won the contest, according to Nov. 12, 2000 article in the Sunday Times, with his drawing of nine-foot tall peanut with arms and legs. Later an unnamed Wilkes-Barre artist added a top hat, monocle, spats and cane to Gentile’s drawing giving birth to Mr. Peanut. 

Update: Read reactions to the death of Mr. Peanut – https://www.thetimes-tribune.com/news/iconic-planters-mascot-mr-peanut-a-wilkes-barre-native-dead-at-104-1.2586513

 

Here are some images and advertisement from the Times-Tribune Archives dealing with Mr. Peanut. 

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Planters Peanut Oil ad- Aug. 5, 1943 – The Scranton Times

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Planters Peanut ad – April 7, 1933 – The Scranton Times

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Planters Peanut Ad – March 14, 1919 – The Scranton Times

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Planters Peanut radio ad – April 25 1938 – The Scranton Times

You will be missed, #RIPPeanut

Update Monday, Jan. 27, 2020 –

On Saturday, the Citizens’ Voice talked to Harold RIchards of Hanover Twp. about his time portraying Mr. Peanut on Public Square in Wilkes-Barre – https://www.citizensvoice.com/news/hanover-twp-man-remembers-his-time-spent-playing-mr-peanut-on-public-square-1.2587184

Later that evening, Mr. Peanut made an appearance on Saturday Night Live –

And on Monday, Jan. 27,  a spokesperson for Planters announced they are taking a “pause” on the current Mr. Peanut campaign out of respect following the death of Kobe Bryant, his daughter and the seven other passenger in the helicopter. The “pause” covers paid advertising on Twitter and YouTube. The company has yet to make a decision on the planned commercial during the Super Bowl on Sunday, Feb. 2.

Update – Feb. 3, 2020

Last night during the Super Bowl a new commercial aired showing the return or the regrowth of Mr. Peanut –

Today in Wilkes-Barre, a celebration is planned to mark his return – https://www.citizensvoice.com/news/mr-peanut-event-will-go-on-celebration-of-baby-nut-planned-1.2590658

Update Feb. 4, 2020 – 

Wilkes-Barre Mayor George Brown announced plans for possible display in Wilkes-Barre to honor Mr. Peanut – https://www.citizensvoice.com/news/peanut-gallery-display-honoring-planters-mascot-could-be-coming-to-wilkes-barre-1.2590817