Planters
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Planters is an American snack food company under Kraft Foods manufacturing, best known for its nuts and the Mr. Peanut icon that symbolizes them.
Started by Italian immigrants Amedeo Obici and Mario Peruzzi in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, in 1906, it was incorporated in 1908 as the Planter Nut & Chocolate Co. Its main products these days are processed nuts of various kinds. It is a division of Kraft Foods.
In 2006, Planters celebrated its 100th anniversary.
[edit] Advertising
Family tradition handed down in the Peruzzi family has it that Mr. Peanut was a caricature of Amedeo Obici instigated by Mario Peruzzi.
An explanation on the walls of the Planters manufacturing plant in Suffolk, Va explain that a contest was created to come up with an advertising icon or a "mascot" for the company. A first grader won the contest by drawing the first Mr. Peanut. Her design was perfected by the company and has changed over the years. H
Advertising taglines have included:
- Planters is the word for (good) Peanuts. (Various products — 1950s)
- Peanut butter with a crunch. (P.B. Crisps — 1992)
- Relax. Go Nuts. (Deluxe Mixed Nuts — 1997)
- Put Out the Good Stuff. (Various Products - 2003)
- Instinctively Good . (Various Products - 2007)
[edit] Products
Planters' wide selection of products have included or continue to include:
- Cheese Balls (discontinued)
- Cheese Curls (discontinued)
- Cocktail Peanuts
- Cooking Oil
- CornNuts (acquired in late 1990s)
- Chocolate Covered Cashews
- Coconut Balls (discontinued almost immediately after introduction)
- Dry Roasted Peanuts
- Dry Roasted Sunflower kernels
- Honey Roasted Peanuts
- Hot Peanuts
- Jumbo Block Peanut Candy (presumably discontinued)
- Mixed Nuts
- P.B. Crackers (discontinued)
- P.B. Crisps (introduced in 1992; discontinued)
- Peanut Butter (presumably discontinued, as Kraft has its own Peanut Butter)
- Peanut Butter Fudge Cookies (discontinued)
- Salted Cashews
- Salted Peanuts
- Tavern Nuts (discontinued)
