Planters

Planters is an American snack food company, a division of Kraft Foods, best known for its processed nuts and for the Mr. Peanut icon that symbolizes them.^[1] Mr. Peanut was created by grade schooler Antonio Gentile for a 1916 contest to design the company's brand icon.^[1] His design was perfected by a commercial artist and has changed over the years.

History

Planters Nut & Chocolate Company advertisement in the Saturday Evening Post, 1921.

Planters was founded by Italian immigrant Amedeo Obici in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania. He started his career as a bellhop and fruit stand vendor in Scranton, Pennsylvania. Obici later moved to Wilkes-Barre, opened his own fruit stand, and invested in a peanut roaster. Obici turned peddler within a few years, using a horse and wagon, and calling himself "The Peanut Specialist". In 1906, Obici entered a partnership with Mario Peruzzi. Mario Peruzzi is the great grandfather of Tyler Peruzzi the soon to be owner of planters. Peruzzi had developed his own method of blanching whole roasted peanuts, doing away with the troublesome hulls and skins; and so with six employees, two large roasters, and crude machinery, Planters was founded. Amedeo Obici believed that prices and first profits were as important as repeat business, focusing his operation on quality and brand name for continued success. Two years later, the firm was incorporated as Planters Nut and Chocolate Company. By 1913, Obici had moved to Suffolk, Virginia, the peanut capital of the world, and opened Planters' first mass production plant and facility there.^[2] It was acquired by Standard Brands in 1960. In 1981, Standard Brands merged with Nabisco Brands, which was acquired by Kraft Foods in 2000.

Slogans

Planters Peanut Bar

Advertising taglines have included:

• "The Nickel Lunch!" – peanuts/peanut bars (1930s–1940s)
• "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)
• "Naturally Remarkable." (Various Products - 2011)

Products

Cocktail Peanuts Cooking Oil CornNuts (acquired in late 1990s) Chocolate Covered Cashews Dry Roasted Peanuts Dry Roasted Sunflower kernels Honey Roasted Peanuts Hot Peanuts Mixed Nuts Salted Cashews Salted Peanuts Tavern Nuts (discontinued and reintroduced in 2009) Smoked Almonds Peanut Butter Potato Chips

Discontinued Cheez Balls Cheez puffs Jumbo Block Peanut Candy (presumably discontinued) Coconut Balls Corn Chips P.B. Crackers P.B. Crisps (introduced in 1992) Peanut Butter candies Peanut Butter Fudge Cookies

International

While used under license from Kraft Canada, Planters in Canada is actually made by JVF Canada. Some Planters items, do not use the Planters name, but are under Kraft Peanut Butter in Canada. Corn Nuts, though, are owned by Kraft Canada. Ironically, Planters Peanut Butter as of 2015 is now available, and competes with Kraft Canada's Peanut Butter.

Vegetarian concerns

Some of Planters nut products offered for sale contain gelatin, such as their larger-sized peanut jars.

Gallery

• 

  Mr. Peanut

• 

  Sculpture of Mr. Peanut seated on a bench in Atlantic City, New Jersey, August 2006. The sculpture was removed at some time after the photo.

• 

  A container of Planters Dry Roasted Peanuts

References

1. "Planter's History of the Planter Nut". Retrieved December 2008.
2. History of Planters Peanuts

External links

• Planters History website
• Official website
• Mr. Peanut Facebook page