Planters Mr. Peanut Super Bowl 2020 Ad to Be Tamped Down After Kobe Bryant's Passing

Heading into Super Bowl week, Planters has been drawing attention for an ad that depicts Mr. Peanut dying tragically after plummeting to his death. The expectation is that this teaser would lead to a Super Bowl LIV ad, but the plans have changed following the sudden death of retired NBA star Kobe Bryant. Kraft Heinz, the packaged goods company, revealed on Monday that it would be tamping down the campaign.

"Planters has paused all campaign activities, including paid media, and will evaluate next steps through a lens of sensitivity to those impacted by this tragedy," Kraft Heinz said in a statement. The company is still expected to air a commercial during the Super Bowl, but the exact content is unknown.

"It's almost like this whole marketing ploy was in bad taste from the beginning," one user wrote on social media in response to the campaign being paused. Others posted about how it's odd that a celebrity's death would be the reason for the change in strategy.

"Good decision. It's nice a company being considerate in this current climate," another user added to the conversation. The majority of responses bordered on sarcastic, but there were some that were genuinely surprised and happy that Kraft Heinz would be pausing this advertising campaign in wake of Bryant's death.

The original teaser, which has generated more than 6.4 million views on YouTube, shows actors Wesley Snipes and Matt Walsh riding in The Nutmobile. The peanut-shaped vehicle veers off the road and leaves the trio hanging on a branch.

Mr. Peanut ultimately sacrifices himself to save the lives of Snipes and Walsh. He "died" at a reported age of 104. Although there were many on social media that expected him to return to life during another Super Bowl ad.

Considering the amount of effort and planning that went into this advertisement, it's possible that Mr. Peanut's death will be revisited. After all, Twitter accounts for Kraft Macaroni and Cheese, SONIC Drive-In, and Nestle Toll House were all posting about the mascot's death.

Will Kraft Heinz release a Super Bowl commercial that features the funeral of Mr. Peanut or a miraculous return to life? The answer is unknown at this point in time, but the company is expected to pull back on the paid advertisements on platforms such as YouTube and Twitter. Those airing on TV could also be pulled as the Big Game draws near.

(Photo Credit: Allen Berezovsky/Getty Images)