Mr. Peanut is dead! What brand icon should walk the plank next?
Charles Payne, Brett Larson share their top 3 commercial characters who should be retired
Nuts! Mr. Peanut is dead!
One of America's biggest snack brands, Planters, has killed off its famed mascot in a Super Bowl pregame ad. The beloved peanut shell, well known for his top hat, monocle and cane since 1914, went to the great peanut butter jar in the sky to save the lives of his commercial co-stars, action actor Wesley Snipes and funny man Matt ("Veep") Walsh.
| Ticker | Security | Last | Change | Change % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| KHC | THE KRAFT HEINZ CO. | 31.79 | -0.34 | -1.06% |
MR. PEANUT KILLED IN SUPER BOWL PREGAME AD
"It is with heavy hearts that we confirm that Mr. Peanut has died at 104. In the ultimate selfless act, he sacrificed himself to save his friends when they needed him most. Please pay your respects with #RIPeanut," the company tweeted Wednesday.
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So now that Mr Peanut has left the snack world, what is the status of some of the other legendary packaging icons?
The oldest American brand cartoon still used is the Quaker Oats Man which first appeared on cans in 1877.
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| BGS | B&G FOODS INC. | 6.29 | -0.01 | -0.08% |
| MGDDY | COMPAGNIE GÉNÉRALE DES ÉTABLISSEMENTS MICHELIN SCA | 16.325 | +0.03 | +0.15% |
For longevity, the Quaker Oats man is followed closely by cereal aisle competitor, Rastus the Cook of Cream of Wheat (1890), Aunt Jemima and her pancake syrup (1893) and the rotund, rubbery Michelin Man (1898).
FOX Business anchor Charles Payne and Fox Nation host Brett Larson, weighed in on the death of Mr. Peanut and looked at other American advertising characters who could use a reboot. They shared their top three lists during "Making Money with Charles Payne" on Thursday.
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CHARLES PAYNE'S LIST
3. Kool-Aid Man
The Kool-Aid Man was first introduced to represent the fruity drink mix as a cartoon in 1954 by a New York advertising agency hired by General Mills, but it wasn't shown in a commercial as a walking, talking, smiling pitcher until 1974.
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| GIS | GENERAL MILLS INC. | 64.71 | -0.52 | -0.80% |
He's mostly known for his destruction when making a grand entrance.
2. M&M's
The walking, talking, colorful M&M's came to be out of necessity. According to Mars, sales were puttering out in 1995 and they looked to advertising firm BBDO to try and give the brand a fresh look.
Not only did the simplistic idea of making each color an individual character work, but it also spun into a retail opportunity with the first M&M's store opening in Las Vegas in 1997.
1. Mr. Mucus
The slimy mucus ball has been the representative for Mucinex since 2004.
A recent study from FiercePharma found Mr. Mucus "ranked the lowest in all five categories that queried consumers about their feelings about mascots."
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BRETT LARSON'S LIST
3. Snap, Crackle, and Pop
The trio of upbeat elves has represented Rice Krispies since 1939, and they are supposed to embody the sound the Kellogg's cereal makes when you add milk.
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| K | KELLANOVA | 80.86 | -0.30 | -0.37% |
They are the longest-running cartoons to represent a Kellogg's product.
2. The Helping Hand
Debuting in 1977, Hamburger Helper's Helping Hand also goes by the nickname "Lefty."
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| GIS | GENERAL MILLS INC. | 64.71 | -0.52 | -0.80% |
Believe it or not, a chef with four fingers reportedly inspired the creation of the "spokesglove" after a Betty Crocker brand manager met him and loved his burgers.
1. Trix Rabbit
The Trix Rabbit first hopped onto the screen as the brand representative in 1959 alongside their iconic slogan: "Silly rabbit, Trix are for kids."
The rabbit first appeared as a puppet before being turned into a cartoon.
Mr. Peanut's funeral will be aired during the NFL championship game slated for Feb. 2 in Miami which will air on Fox.
FOX Business' Danielle Genovese and The Associated Press contributed to this report.