Virginia is the home of some American icons. In the first
ever Favorite Ad Icons and Slogans Competition last November,
the M&Ms's characters, created by the McLean-based
Mars, Inc., and Mr. Peanut, born and bred in Suffolk,
ranked first and third among the top six. Number two was
the AFLAC duck--a definite outsider--in the contest sponsored
by the American Association of Advertising Agencies.
Mr. Peanut's origins are, perhaps, the more fascinating
of these two Old Dominion icons. Few of the 700,000 who
voted in the online competition via Yahoo! and USA Today,
are aware of the dapper nut’s humble beginnings
89 years ago.
In 1913, an Italian immigrant, Amedeo Obici, relocated
his Planters Nut and Chocolate Company from Pennsylvania
to Suffolk, closer to the Virginia peanuts he preferred
for his roasting operation. Several years later, in 1916,
he sponsored a contest in a local newspaper to design
a mascot for the company. A local 14-year-old named Antonio
Gentile won the $5 grand prize with a drawing of a peanut
person with arms and crossed legs. He called his creation
“Mr. Peanut.” Later, a graphic artist added
the monocle, top hat, white gloves and cane to emphasize
that Planters peanuts were in a class by themselves. An
icon was born. As a writer with the Corporate Design Foundation
has said, “If Fred Astaire were reincarnated as
a nut, he’d definitely be the Planters’ Mr.
Peanut.”
Mr. Peanut is also a survivor, despite the many corporate
transformations of his parent. According to a 2003 article
on the company’s history in a Pennsylvania newspaper,
Standard Brands bought Planters Nut and Chocolate in 1960,
then merged with Nabisco in 1980. Five years later Nabisco
merged with R.J. Reynolds and in 2000 Phillip Morris bought
Nabisco, then renamed itself Altria. Phew! Planters is
now part of the Altria Kraft Division.
Through it all, Antonio’s “little peanut person”
has endured. In fact, efforts to update the timeless icon
have met with criticism. Last year, a New York ad agency
tried to make Mr. Peanut more of a common fellow having
him dance across a basketball court during March madness.
Some were skeptical. In a New York Times article
last spring (“Updating a Venerable Character, or
Tarnishing a Sterling Reputation?” March 19, 2004),
David Altschul, president of a consulting firm that specializes
in creating and renewing brands, wondered that when an
icon “with that kind of longevity is such a part
of the cultural landscape, the question becomes, are you
building a story meaningful to the brand?” This,
of course, is ad speak but, in essence, he suggested the
makeover “doesn’t do justice” to Mr.
Peanut. He is much more than Planters’ logo; he’s
a part of our cultural history.
The M&M’s characters are a bit younger than
their more reserved colleague. The candy itself was introduced
in 1940, after Forrest Mars, Sr. saw soldiers in the Spanish
Civil War eating sugar-coated chocolate pellets. The candy
became popular with GIs in World War II because it traveled
well without melting. It wasn’t until 1954, when
peanut M&Ms joined the ranks, that the Red and Yellow
characters made their appearance.
After the fiercely private Mars, Sr. took over the candy
empire from his father in 1964, he moved the company’s
headquarters from Chicago to McLean. An equestrian and
fox hunter, he wanted to pursue his avocations in the
Virginia countryside. Thanks in part to Red, Yellow and
their compatriots, Mars, Inc., is considered one of the
largest privately owned companies in the world, with annual
revenue of $17 billion and 30,000 employees worldwide.
In ad speak, M&M’s brand awareness is 99 percent,
thanks to the characters. In fact, they have spawned a
lucrative licensing business. You can purchase everything
from M&M’s-themed notebooks and binders to car
antenna toppers. You can even personalize M&M’s
with the name of your favorite sports team or order wedding
favors with the names of the happy couple on the candy!
But, back to Mr. Peanut, who is more authentically homegrown.
In Suffolk, where he was born, there is an annual Peanut
Fest and the local hospital is named after Planters founder
Obici. We also hear the beloved icon is honored with a
statue and a small museum. In fact, more than a dozen
other cast-iron likenesses of Mr. P. adorn the fence of
Planters’ newest processing facility. Back in 1996,
Suffolk Sun staff writer Linda McNatt suggested
that the city’s 1,000-plus fire hydrants already
resembled the shape of the Planters mascot. A bit of paint
would finish the job, she wrote. After all, in Hershey,
PA, the street lamps are shaped like chocolate kisses.
Well, maybe next year ? when Mr. Peanut turns 90.
February 14, 2005
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a Librarian Live.)
Nice & Curious
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Last Modified:
Friday, June 27, 2008
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