Nutmobile

The Planters Nutmobile at a Fred Meyer.

The Nutmobile (stylized as NUTmobile) is a series of brandmobiles shaped like a peanut, owned by Hormel Foods, which are used to promote and advertise Planters products in the United States. The first version was created in 1935. Its drivers are known as "Peanutters". Each year, three Peanutters are selected to drive the Nutmobile across the country. These brand representatives are typically recent college graduates with degrees in fields such as advertising, marketing, public relations and communications.

History

The first peanut-shaped car was built in 1935 for a Planters salesman. In 1999, a 25-foot (8 m) "Mr. Peanut Hot Rod" toured more than 35 cities.

In 2011, Planters introduced a Nutmobile that ran on biodiesel and carried solar panels and a wind turbine. It was built from a food truck.[citation needed] In 2014, two more fiberglass Nutmobiles were added, expanding the fleet to three, each driven by its own team of Peanutters. As of 2018, the touring Nutmobile was a converted 2014 Isuzu. In 2019, Planters built a new Nutmobile for its first Super Bowl commercial; it replaced the 2011 vehicle on the national tour. In 2021, the older models were retired from full-time touring and repurposed for special projects.

In June 2023, Planters announced it was renaming the Nutmobile the "Shell on Wheels".

In June 2025, Planters celebrated the program's 90th anniversary by unveiling an updated Nutmobile. The updated vehicle features a peanut-shaped door handle, a neon-lit selfie station, and a 360-degree exterior camera. Three new Peanutters were selected to drive the new model on a year-long nationwide tour.

Peanutters

During their year on the road, Peanutters hand out peanut samples, Mr. Peanut memorabilia and other Planters products. The program is based in Austin, Minnesota, where new Peanutters complete two weeks of training, known as "Peanut Prep", covering how to speak for the brand, Planters history and how to drive the vehicles. Mr. Peanut accompanies the Peanutters to events, posing for photos, signing autographs and greeting visitors.

The University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign has supplied Peanutters for several tours, including 2014–15, 2016–17, 2018–19 and 2019–20.

See also

References

  1. 1 2 "The PLANTERS® Brand Celebrates 90 Years of the Iconic NUTmobile with New Class of Peanutters, New Peanut on Wheels" (Press release). Austin, Minnesota: Hormel Foods. 18 June 2025. Retrieved 16 October 2026.
  2. 1 2 3 Watters, Ethan (12 May 2025). "Crackin' smiles for 90 years". Hormel Foods. Retrieved 16 October 2026.
  3. ↑ "More Massive Mobile Peanuts to Hit the Road with Mr. Peanut" (Press release). Kraft Foods Group. 18 June 2014. Retrieved 16 October 2026.
  4. ↑ Ferguson, Mike (26 April 2018). "Coming out of their shells: Planters Nutmobile ambassadors spread cheer in Billings stop". Billings Gazette.
  5. ↑ Steinberg, Brian (16 January 2019). "Mr. Peanut to Appear in His First Super Bowl Commercial". Variety. Retrieved 30 March 2020.
  6. ↑ Valinsky, Jordan (27 June 2023). "Planters renames the Nutmobile to the 'Shell on Wheels'". CNN. Retrieved 29 December 2025.
  7. ↑ "Our Story In A Nutshell". plantersnutmobile.com. Archived from the original on 8 February 2021. Retrieved 30 March 2020.
  8. ↑ "What's with the giant nut?". The Daily Illini. 12 February 2020. Retrieved 30 March 2020.
  9. ↑ "Cashew at the Planter's NUTmobile". The Daily Illini. 28 January 2015. Retrieved 30 March 2020.
  10. ↑ Johnson, Ciera (24 January 2019). "University alum finds 'nutty' career". The Daily Illini. Retrieved 30 March 2020.