In New Short Film, Hormel Foods Spotlights the World's Biggest Fans of MR. PEANUT®

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Aug 07, 2024, 11:00 ET

The Peanut Pals' passion for the iconic MR. PEANUT^® is simply unmatched

AUSTIN, Minn., Aug. 7, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- More than a century ago, a 14-year-old named Antonio Gentile entered a contest with a sketch, hoping to create a new PLANTERS^® brand icon. A top hat, a monocle, and a cane were later added to that sketch of a smiling peanut, and thus, the iconic MR. PEANUT^® was born. MR. PEANUT^® has since become a globally recognized figure, appearing not only on PLANTERS^® product packaging, but also on a wide range of merchandise; from antique signage and trinkets, to figurines of the dapper legume, himself.

The Peanut Pals, a cohort comprised of more than 400 MR. PEANUT® merchandise collectors, are celebrated in the latest Inspired Fans™ film from Hormel Foods entitled Legendary Legume: The Peanut Pals and MR. PEANUT®.

Hormel Foods, which acquired the PLANTERS^® brand in 2021, is today spotlighting a group of superfans that collectively possess thousands of pieces of MR. PEANUT^® merchandise. A cohort comprised of more than 400 MR. PEANUT^® collectors, the Peanut Pals are celebrated in the latest Inspired Fans^™ film from Hormel Foods — Legendary Legume: The Peanut Pals and MR. PEANUT^®.

"These amazing folks really do love me, and let me tell you, the feeling is mutual," said MR. PEANUT^®, spokesperson for the PLANTERS^® brand. "The Peanut Pals' passion for the PLANTERS^® brand never ceases to amaze me, and I am honored to hold such a special place in their hearts. They certainly hold a special place in mine."

Since 1978, the Peanut Pals have regularly gathered at convention-style events across the country, giving each collector an opportunity to showcase their stockpile of MR. PEANUT^® keepsakes, not only with each other, but with the public, as well. The Peanut Pals' unrelenting passion for MR. PEANUT^® is what keeps them coming back year after year, always in search of new items to add to their respective collections.

"There's just something about MR. PEANUT^®," said Scott Schmitz, president of the Peanut Pals. "We enjoy what he does. We want to follow his journey. We've seen where he's been, and we want to know what he's going to do in the future. That's what we're all about."

For more information about the Peanut Pals, visit www.peanutpals.org.

About the Planters^® Brand
Founded in 1906 in Wilkes-Barre, Pa., the Planters^® brand has been the ultimate snacking solution for consumers for over a century with a vast portfolio of peanuts, snackable nut mixes, seeds, and so much more. No matter what you're craving — salted, unsalted, dry roasted, honey roasted, whole nuts, half nuts, peanuts, mixed nuts — Planters^® products have you covered. The Planters^® brand, which has been owned by Hormel Foods Corporation (NYSE: HRL) since 2021, is also home to the beloved Mr. Peanut^® character, who is currently touring the salty streets of America in his world-famous NUTmobile. Fans of the Planters^® brand can request the world's largest peanut on wheels by submitting a request at plantersnutmobile.com. For more information on all Planters^® products, visit planters.com.

About Hormel Foods — Inspired People. Inspired Food.^™
Hormel Foods Corporation, based in Austin, Minnesota, is a global branded food company with over $12 billion in annual revenue across more than 80 countries worldwide. Its brands include Planters^®, Skippy^®, SPAM^®, Hormel^® Natural Choice^®, Applegate^®, Justin's^®, Wholly^®, Hormel^® Black Label^®, Columbus^®, Jennie-O^® and more than 30 other beloved brands. The company is a member of the S&P 500 Index and the S&P 500 Dividend Aristocrats, was named one of the best companies to work for by U.S. News & World Report, one of America's most responsible companies by Newsweek, recognized on Fast Company's list of the 100 Best Workplaces for Innovators, received a perfect score of 100 on the 2023–24 Corporate Equality Index and has received numerous other awards and accolades for its corporate responsibility and community service efforts. The company lives by its purpose statement — Inspired People. Inspired Food.^™ — to bring some of the world's most trusted and iconic brands to tables across the globe. For more information, visit hormelfoods.com.