Planters is a snack food company that is currently owned by Hormel Foods, marketed as the "World's Grandest Nut Company." The company was founded in 1906 by Italian immigrant Amedeo Obici in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania. Obici created Planters after believing peanuts would be better enjoyed removed from their shells, blanched and salted. The company's mascot and advertising icon, Mr. Peanut, was created in 1916 through a design contest and has since appeared on various Planters products and advertisements.
History with the Macy's Parade[]
Planters' involvement with the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade dates back to the 1960s, when the company requested a balloon of their mascot, Mr. Peanut, to fly in the Parade's line of march. This idea, however, never got far into production, and was scrapped.
The company's official debut would be in the 1997 Parade, bringing the Big Top to the black top with an all-new float. The float, titled "Mr. Peanut's Circus," featured America's most lovable legume, Mr. Peanut, taking center stage with five performing seals and a flag-waving elephant. The elephant, named "Gladys" by legendary designer Manfred Bass,[1] measures 20-feet long from trunk to tail as she precariously balances on a decorated drum. Her skin took three months to complete after studious attention to a real elephant.[2] Rounding out the three-ring circus are float escorts dressed as buckets of peanuts, clowns and elephants.
The Mr. Peanut's Circus float made a total of three appearances in the lineup, and was retired following the 1999 Parade. The float was broken down and disposed of sometime later, with Gladys the elephant being stored in the Macy's Parade Warehouse for several years after.
Planters returned to the line of march in the 2002 Parade, debuting a new specialty unit known as the "Planters Nut Mobile." Created in 1999. it had travelled approximately 110,000 miles across the country before appearing in the famed holiday spectacle, thanks to its v6 engine that runs on peanut oil. The ever-fashionable Mr. Peanut rides in the vehicle, wearing a 32-inch high top hat that can store 240 pounds of peanuts, and sporting a 72 inch walking cane, with a 11.5-inch diameter monocle.[3] The Planters Nut Mobile went on to become a Parade mainstay and was occasionally joined by a pack of parading pachyderms. The Nut Mobile made its final appearance in the 2009 Parade.
The Planters NUTmobile received a makeover just in time for the 2011 Macy's Parade, helping kick off Planter's "Naturally Remarkable" campaign. The new-and-improved NUTmobile uses environmentally-conscious materials and harnesses the power of sunlight and wind. Solar panels on the roof, a wind turbine, and a biodiesel generator provide the power of the peanut.[4] Always a perfect holiday host, Mr. Peanut waves to his many fans from atop the eco-friendly ride.
Mr. Peanut and the NUTmobile garnered media attention following the 2016 Parade, as he was caught doing the "dab" - a trendy dance move of the time - various times along the Parade route. Following this appearance, the NUTmobile was retired from the lineup and Planters has yet to be represented in the Parade again.
Guest Stars[]
Listed below are the guest stars that have appeared/performed on the Mr. Peanut's Circus float, alongside the respective songs which they sang during the NBC Parade telecast.
- 1997 - Vicki Lewis, sang "Join The Circus"
- 1998 - 98 Degrees, sang "Because Of You"
- 1999 - Big Bad Voodoo Daddy, sang "I Wanna Be Like You"
Trivia[]
- Mr. Peanut was planned to appear as a giant balloon in the 1960's, however Goodyear would scrap these plans before production began.
- Gladys the Elephant measures 16-feet wide from ear to ear and rises 23 feet above the ground.