The fanciest legume to ever live has reportedly shuffled off this mortal coil. Planters announced Wednesday that Mr. Peanut died at the age of 104. (Of course, whether or not a fictional, top-hat-sporting peanut salesman was ever really alive is a separate existential question.)
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 pic.twitter.com/VFnEFod4Zp
— The Estate of Mr. Peanut (@MrPeanut) January 22, 2020
The brand announced the news on Twitter — where else? — and noted that he “sacrificed himself to save his friends when they needed him most.” As you might have guessed, it’s all a marketing gimmick, tied to a commercial that will air before the Super Bowl. In the ad, Mr. Peanut, whose real name is Bartholomew Richard Fitzgerald-Smythe, is riding in a peanut-shaped car with Wesley Snipes and Veep‘s Matt Walsh that winds up going over a cliff, and as the three of them cling to a branch that’s too heavy for all of them, the nut — ever the gentleman — lets go, falling to his death.
There’s no official word on whether or not we can expect the brand to revive him after the Super Bowl, but you can watch the ad below. Rest well, Bartholomew.
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