Baseball Legend Frank Thomas and Mr. Peanut Bring Power Of The Peanut to Lucky Softball Team in Chicago

NORTHFIELD, Ill., Aug. 7, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Frank Thomas, known as "The Big Hurt,"  joined Mr. Peanut to surprise a Chicago men's softball team, winner of Mr. Peanut's Power Hitter Contest, to harness the power of the peanut and celebrate the launch of four new Planters peanut flavors.

Thomas, a powerful hitter during his career, helped the team spice up their game with his coaching guidance, new uniforms and, of course, peanuts. He also stepped up to play first base coach during the game.

"Having 'The Big Hurt' join our team was a great way to help us remind people that peanuts are not only nutritious but powerfully delicious too," said Peter Cotter, Senior Brand Manager for Planters. "It was great to see him interact with fans and have fun on the field. He's a true Hall of Famer."

Planters, America's leading snack nut brand known for its more than 100-year-old peanut history, tapped both culinary trends and fan feedback to develop the new sweet and savory varieties which include salty-sweet Salted Caramel, indulgent Cocoa, fiery Chipotle and rugged Smoked. The new peanut flavors deliver six to seven grams of protein per serving. The flavors are sold nationwide in the snacks section of grocery stores with a suggested retail price of $1.99 for each six-ounce container.

You can learn more about Planters on PowerofthePeanut.com and by following Mr. Peanut on Facebook at Facebook.com/MrPeanut and on Twitter at @MrPeanut.

ABOUT PLANTERS
Planters has a long history of pioneering industry firsts. This inventiveness is delivered through a diverse portfolio of nutritious and delicious plant-based snacks such as peanuts, cashews, almonds and other nuts. Planters NUT-rition offers a distinctive line of nut mixes that focus on specific nutritional needs. Planters Trail Mix blends roasted nuts, delicious fruit and other delicious ingredients to help fuel an active lifestyle.

ABOUT KRAFT FOODS GROUP
Kraft Foods Group, Inc. (NASDAQ: KRFT) is one of North America's largest consumer packaged food and beverage companies, with annual revenues of more than $18 billion.  With the spirit of a startup and the soul of a powerhouse, Kraft has an unrivaled portfolio of products in the beverages, cheese, refrigerated meals and grocery categories.  The company's iconic brands include Kraft, Capri Sun, Jell-O, Kool-Aid, Lunchables, Maxwell House, Oscar Mayer, Philadelphia, Planters and Velveeta.  Kraft's 22,500 employees in the U.S. and Canada have a passion for making the foods and beverages people love.  Kraft is a member of the Standard & Poor's 500 and the NASDAQ-100 indices.  For more information, visit www.kraftfoodsgroup.com and www.facebook.com/kraft.

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SOURCE Planters