Planters Delays Mr. Peanut’s Funeral Following Death Of Kobe Bryant
Image via a katz / Shutterstock.com
The shell that was once Mr. Peanut will remain in the mortuary for now, as Planters has halted its Super Bowl campaign surrounding the 104-year-old mascot’s death out of respect for NBA legend Kobe Bryant, who passed on from a helicopter crash on Sunday, 26 January 2020.
“We are saddened by this weekend’s news, and Planters has paused all campaign activities, including paid media,” the company revealed in a statement via Ad Age.
The brand did not elaborate if it had a replacement for the untimely campaign, but explained it would “evaluate next steps through a lens of sensitivity to those impacted by this tragedy.”
Last Wednesday, Planters announced it was holding a funeral for the fictitious mascot through a Super Bowl commercial. Bryant’s death followed just three days after, and the company felt it would be “insensitive” to proceed with the adverts for the time being.
Bryant was killed alongside his 13-year-old daughter Gianna and seven others when the helicopter plummeted near Calabasas, California. Among the victims were the pilot, Ara Zobayan, head coach of the Orange Coast College Pirates baseball team John Altobelli, and his daughters Keri and Alyssa Altobelli.
[via VICE, cover image via a katz / Shutterstock.com]
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