PLANTERS^® LOCAL SUPER BOWL COMMERCIAL STARS KEN JEONG AND JOEL MCHALE

Taking their rapid-fire bickering and insults from the “Community” set backstage, comedic actors Joel McHale and Ken Jeong argue over the right way to eat mixed nuts in a new Planters^® commercial set to run in select cities during the Super Bowl.

The 30-second ad will air shortly before halftime in 30 of the largest U.S. markets. Planters^® new owner, Hormel Foods, opted for the regional media buy rather than going all in, as former parent Kraft Heinz had done in some recent Super Bowls. Most recently, Planters^® generated buzz in 2020 when the company killed off its Mr. Peanut^® character ahead of the Big Game. Then, following the death of Kobe Bryant and others in a helicopter crash, the brand muted its approach. Planters^® 2020 Super Bowl ad featured the funeral and “rebirth” of iconic mascot, and he aged throughout the year in various ads. Planters^® sat out the 2021 game.

While not a national in-game buy, this year’s ad still marks the highest-profile Planters^® campaign since Hormel Foods bought the brand from Kraft Heinz last year for $3.3 billion. This year’s ad, like the 2020 one, comes from VaynerMedia.