Campaign aims to put American-grown peanuts top of mind

The National Peanut Board launched a new brand platform designed to unify how the U.S. peanut industry markets peanuts and to push the crop beyond its reputation as a reliable staple.

Built around the concept that “It’s Not Nuts. It’s Peanuts,” the brand messaging from the National Peanut Board is intended to reinforce that peanuts are legumes, not tree nuts. The board also seeks to highlight what it calls “unexpected benefits,” including nutrition and sustainability claims.

The effort marks the first time U.S. peanut farmers, manufacturers and brands are aligning behind one cohesive identity, according to the board. The organization said peanuts are grown in the United States by about 7,000 peanut-farming families and are produced on less than two million acres.

The National Peanut Board pointed to the health and sustainability benefits of peanuts:

• Peanuts provide 7 g of protein per ounce
• Peanuts have the smallest carbon footprint of any nut, ounce for ounce
• Peanuts use 3.2 gallons of water to grow one ounce

The new brand includes a peanut-shaped logo and a “bright harvest” color meant to create a consistent signal for American-grown peanuts. National Peanut Board said the brand will roll out across multiple channels to reach consumers who may not be actively thinking about peanut products, with the longer-term goal of appearing on in-store packaging.

The campaign includes stop-motion vignettes directed by Anthony Farquhar-Smith of Not to Scale, using miniature sets and 781 3D-printed figurines.

Ryan Lepicier, president and CEO of the National Peanut Board, said in a release that the platform is intended to turn what some view as a commodity into a brand that supports the industry’s future.