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Don’t let the top hat and monocle fool you – Mr. Peanut came from pretty humble beginnings. Peanuts have grown in popularity--and stature-- thanks to the vision of a young Italian immigrant named Amadeo Obici. After hearing of the bounty America had to offer, a young Obici moved to the United States and eventually settled in the Midwest in the town of Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania. He opened a fruit and nut stand. Calling himself “The Peanut Specialist” he took his business of selling nuts on the road all while developing new ways to blanch peanuts, taking away the pesky hulls and skins. After partnering up with Mario Peruzzi in 1906, he settled down with a couple of large roasters, basic machinery and a handful of employees and founded Planters.
Unlike many memorable mascots, the unforgettable Mr. Peanut wasn’t created by an advertising agency, but was created by a 14 year old boy who entered a contest to come up with a trademark for the increasingly popular Planters. For thinking up Mr. Peanut, he got an astounding $5. In order to give the lowly peanut a little panache, Planters added the top hat, monocle and cane, giving us the Planters mascot we know and love today.
Planters’ famous mascot has lasted through pop culture ups and downs, even having his own billboard in Times Square during the late 1930s. It came back once again in 1999. He has also been featured in a variety of commercials starting in the 1950s, dancing and tapping his way into the hearts of television viewers everywhere.
Peanuts are now offered everywhere from bars to baseball games, parties, picnics, and just about any kind of gathering where snacks might be wanted, and today Planters offers more than just the basic peanut, everything from salted to unsalted, dry roasted and even honey roasted – as well as mixes and blends with other popular nuts, such as cashews, almonds, macadamias and walnuts. Over 100 years later, people are still popping peanuts into their mouths for almost every occasion, and we’ve got Mr. Peanut to thank for that.
