Mr. Peanut
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Mr. Peanut is the dandy advertising logo and mascot of Planters, an American snack-food company and division of Kraft Foods. He consists of a drawing of an anthropomorphic peanut in its shell dressed in the formal clothing of an old-fashioned gentleman: a top hat, monocle, white gloves, spats, and a cane.
Mr. Peanut is based on a drawing by a Virginia schoolboy, Antonio Gentile, an Italian-American who won a $5 prize in a 1916 contest for his "little peanut person." The mascot made its debut in 1918 in The Saturday Evening Post.
According to the company, Mr. Peanut's hat, shoes, cane, and monocle symbolize fresh taste. The gloves do not symbolize anything; Mr. Peanut simply likes them.
Since his conception, Mr. Peanut has appeared in many TV commercials as an animated cartoon character. More recent commercials have shown him computer animated in a real-world setting. His appearances are often accompanied by an elegant accented narrator, and throughout his extensive television life, Mr. Peanut has rarely spoken.
In 2006, Planters conducted an online poll to determine whether to add a bow tie, cufflinks, or a pocketwatch to Mr. Peanut. The public voted for no change.
[edit] Trivia
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- In 1974, the Canadian conceptual artist Vincent Trasov ran for the office of mayor of the city of Vancouver, British Columbia in the guise of Mr. Peanut. He wore a full peanut costume, with top hat, monocle, gloves, spats and cane and did nothing but tap-dance at the all-candidates meetings. He garnered less than four percent of the vote. [1]
