planters halts mr peanut death ads after kobe bryants death

Last week, Planters snack foods launched a campaign to kill off their beloved mascot Mr. Peanut. As part of a series of advertisements leading up to the Super Bowl, the snack company dropped the character, a wealthy anthropomorphic peanut from a cliff, sacrificing himself for actors Wesley Snipes and Matt Walsh. It was weird.

Now, Planters, out of respect for Kobe Bryant and the eight victims of a tragic helicopter crash that killed everyone aboard yesterday, has decided to halt the campaign, leading up to the Super Bowl spot.

“We are saddened by this weekend’s news and 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," the company said in a statement to AdAge.

The advertisement was the first half of a couplet of ads, concluding with Peanut's funeral, which Planters planned to air during the Super Bowl's third quarter. It is unclear whether the company still plans to air the Super Bowl spot.

Surprisingly, the advertisement was a viral success, as people online reacted to the death of the beloved legume. However, following the outpouring of sadness following Bryant's sudden death, the brand seems to believe that trivializing such events to sell mixed nuts may be in poor taste.