One of Japan’s most famous summer festivals is Tanabata, or the Wish Upon a Star Festival. This is when all Japanese, both young and old, wish upon a star. It has been celebrated in Japan since the 700s.
During the 2022 Tanabata Festival Day, on July 7, the American Peanut Council hosted Lucky Peanuts Day. The objective was to drive awareness off American peanuts and peanut products by leveraging the synergy between the Tanabata festival and NASA’s Jet Propulsion Lab’s lucky charm, the peanut (originating in 1964 during the unmanned Ranger Moon missions).
APC conducted the Lucky Peanuts promotion at the global landmark Tokyo Tower, where visitors could get “closer to space.” About 1,000 visitors enjoyed writing their wishes on peanut shaped strips, later to rocket into space via the Ryman Sat Project. In addition, as part of Unicef’s Sustainable Development Goal’s aid to malnourished children, APC prepared a donation box for the Plumpy’nut Fund. All donations collected were donated to Save the Children Japan and used as expenses for Plumpy’nut.
APC invested JPY 5 million (approximately US$38,300) in the event. The activity generated about 20,000,000-yen media coverage (approximately US$150,000).
