In what could become a case study in the perils of Super Bowl marketing stunts, Planters teased its Super Bowl ad nearly two weeks before the game, releasing a teaser for its Super Bowl ad that showed its Mr. Peanut mascot seemingly being killed.
The "death" of Mr. Peanut went viral on Twitter. But when Kobe Bryant was killed in a helicopter crash, the marketing stunt suddenly seemed insensitive, so Planters paused its pre-game advertising.
The actual Super Bowl ad was relatively inoffensive, with a baby Mr. Peanut appearing at the funeral, but the pregame stunt is likely what people will remember.
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