Instead of running an ad for Super Bowl LV, snack maker Planters will be using the $5 million for the commercial to give back to those affected by the coronavirus pandemic and connect with fans.

On Monday, The Kraft Heinz Company announced the plan for Planters and Mr. Peanut to reward acts of kindness across the country. The move comes after the company came across charitable acts throughout the pandemic, including a couple who donated the catering of their canceled wedding to provide Thanksgiving meals to others.

“PLANTERS nuts pack way more substance than empty snacks like potato chips, so when we show up - including with a Big Game activation - it’s going to fill people up,” U.S. Chief Growth Officer at Kraft Heinz Sanjiv Gajiwala said in a press release.

“This year, we’re walking the talk by launching the PLANTERS ‘A Nut Above’ campaign, which celebrates making better choices in life and in snacking. In total, MR. PEANUT will give away $5 million this year to people who champion substantial actions - the every day and the extraordinary - by doing good, even when no one is looking.”

Planters has also encouraged customers to nominate local bar owners, who they believe should be rewarded for the generosity throughout the pandemic.

“Throughout the year, we’ll be engaging and interacting with our fans in real time, listening to what inspires them, and applauding the moments they care about,” Gajiwala added. “It’s just one more way we’re staying consumer-obsessed.”

Planters isn’t the only company to skip running a Super Bowl commercial this year. Audi, Coca-Cola, Pepsi, Hyundai and Avocados from Mexico, announced they would not be participating in the annual ad opportunity.

Coca-Cola opted out amid reports the company has taken a financial hit due to the pandemic. Over the last year, shares of the company have decreased by about 14%, CNBC noted.

“This difficult choice was made to ensure we are investing in the right resources during these unprecedented times,” Kate Hartman, a spokesperson for the company, said in a statement.

Meanwhile, shares of rival PepsiCo have seen a 2% increase, bumping up its market value to $197 billion. Pepsi plans to use its Super Bowl ad slot to promote its halftime show featuring The Weeknd.

“Brands are always typically falling over themselves to get a 30 [second spot] and do something fun on social and try to connect and cut through,” Pepsi VP of Marketing Todd Kaplan said.

“We’re really going to take the experience from 12 minutes into six weeks,” he continued.

Super Bowl LV will air Sunday, Feb. 7 at 6:30 p.m. ET on CBS.

peanut
A Chinese Yuan bank note paid by a customer is placed on a sack of peanuts on a vendor's stall at a market in Beijing August 9, 2013. Reuters/Kim Kyung-Hoon
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