What is Planters' "Baby Nut" Meme and Why Is It Trending?

First came Baby Groot in 2017. Two years later, Disney and Star Wars teamed up to steal the internet's heart with Baby Yoda. Not to be outdone by the Mouse House, Planters--yes, the century-old nut-based snack food company--decided to jump into the baby meme game with Baby Nut. But what is Baby Nut and why is his Duplo-looking, featureless face everywhere?

What Is the Baby Nut meme?

The Baby Nut is a redesigned corporate mascot for Mr. Peanut. Making its debut at Super Bowl LIV in February 2020, Baby Nut is the conclusion of three-week-long marketing campaign by Planters in which the original mascot, Mr. Peanut, dies from falling from a great height and is reincarnated as a baby. Discarding the cane and monocle, Baby Nut is a softer and smaller variation of Mr. Peanut. Its eyes are bigger, its mouth is smaller and its hat it humongous on its tiny body. In short, it's just a cuter version of Mr. Peanut.

What Did This Meme Come From?

Less than one month ago, on January 22nd, Planters shocked the world by announcing their beloved mascot Mr. Peanut would die. As strange as it might be to announce the upcoming death of a corporate logo, it was a massive success. Suddenly, social media exploded with condolences for the late Mr. Peanut. Still, others gave pause. Could this really be the end of Mr. Peanut? Would we never see the beloved bourgeois legume again? Of course, not. This is advertising.

Cut to Super Bowl Sunday, when Planters promised that the conclusion of the Peanut saga would be aired. Everyone tuned in not for the game, obviously, but for Peanut's funeral, which was attended by several other corporate mascots, including the Kool-Aid Man, Mr. Clean and Wesley Snipes.

However, when the Kool-Aid Man cried his artificially sweetened tears onto Peanut's grave, a seed sprouted and out came Baby Nut, a reincarnated infant-version Mr. Peanut. Yes, Mr. Peanut had retuned, sans monocle (presumably, because reincarnation fixes one's sight), and with it, he brought a new hashtag "#BabyNut."

Why Is This Meme So Popular?

Based on the timing of Baby Nut's emergence, it's safe to assume that Planters aimed to capitalize on the success of Baby Yoda. Over the last few months, the breakout star of the Star Wars live-action Disney+ series The Mandalorian, Baby Yoda has been the subject of numerous memes and online conversations. Image macros featuring the character generally focus on commonly shared childhood experiences or simply praise for the character's design, which many find adorable.

Planters' attempt at baby-ifying their mascot has been less successful. Rather than focus on their admiration for the character, many have accused Planters of creating a "forced meme," and are currently giving the company the "Silence, Brand" treatment on social media. The rejection of Baby Nut is a double-edged sword because while many criticize the character as a cheap knock-off of Baby Yoda, the negative meme-ing of the character still gives airspace to Planters, which is exactly what they're after. Whether or not people like the character is inconsequential as long as they're talking about Baby Nut and, by extension, Planters' products. Capitalism wins.

This certainly wouldn't be the first time an advertiser tried to enter the meme-space. 2019 alone played host to numerous brand-focused memes, including Popeye's Chicken Sandwich, which memers made a national headline and overwhelming success for the billion-dollar fast-food company. Apple's gamut to make the Slofie a thing, however, was less successful.

When brands attempt to co-opt meme-based trends, like baby versions of classic characters, they tend to go over like a lead balloon. Meme-ing, in many cases, requires organic growth, or at the very least, the illusion of organic growth. Most do not like or want meme homework, and that's what Baby Nut feels like to those who may feel like the character had been focus-grouped and market-tested for meme-ability. Of course, it's likely that Baby Yoda underwent similar processes, but people like Star Wars more than peanuts and are willing to ignore the blatant commercialization of the series in most cases.

Still, Baby Nut has survived over the past week simply because of the rejection of the character not in spite of it. Instead of meme-ing positively about Baby Nut, people seem just as happy to meme their criticisms. But, hey, it's still free advertising to Planters, and memers are working for peanuts.