M&M’s “one for all and all for fun” mentality is creating a brand that is more boldly inclusive. The candy’s mission statement reads, “We believe in championing the power of fun to create a world where everyone feels they belong.”
Mars Inc. is revamping M&M’s characters to “represent a more dynamic and progressive world.” One way this is being done is by removing the gender focus from the candy’s characters. Mars not only updated the look of the candy mascots but their personalities and backstories as well.
M&M’s Mascot Upgrades
- Red will not be so bossy
- Orange will embrace anxiety
- Green will be more confident and has given up the knee-high boots for casual sneakers
- Brown will be sporting glasses and traded in the stilettos for low-block heels
- Brown and Green will support women, “throwing shine and not shade”
- The prefixes before the mascots’ names will be dropped
- In the future, M&M’s will be available in a variety of shapes and sizes to promote diversity
Fans around the world will begin to see these characters come to life, according to Jane Hwang, Mars Wrigley Global Marketing Vice President. She told Fox 10 on Thursday, “we’ll incorporate colorful visuals, inclusive messaging, and our purpose into all we do to prove that all together, we’re more fun.”
This new image for M&M’s is already in full swing at the new M&M’s store in Berlin.
The candy has experienced several iterations since its inception in 1954. This new project has been in the works for a year. “M&M’s promises to use the power of fun to include everyone with a goal of increasing the sense of belonging for 10 million people around the world by 2025.”
Written by Jeanette Vietti
Sources:
Adweek: M&M’s Updates Mascots to Represent a More ‘Dynamic and Progressive World’
Complex: People Sound Off on M&M’s Characters Getting New Designs as Part of ‘More Inclusive’ Overhaul
mms.com: M&Ms Purpose – For All Funkind
FOX10 Phoenix: Mars Inc. announces M&Ms characters will be redesigned for more ‘progressive’ world
Featured Image Courtesy of Björn Söderqvist’s Flickr Page – Creative Commons License
Inline Image Courtesy of Mike Mozart’s Flickr Page – Creative Commons License
