M&Ms tinkering with good thing in new makeover
Candies are beloved – why change the marketing now?
Did you hear that M&Ms are getting a makeover? Apparently, the goal is to create “a world where everyone feels they belong and society is inclusive.” Mars, Incorporated, which produces M&Ms, issued a press release on the subject.
“M&M’S has long been committed to creating colorful fun for all, and this purpose serves as a more concrete commitment to what we’ve always believed as a brand: that everyone has the right to enjoy moments of happiness, and fun is the most powerful way to help people feel that they belong,” said Cathryn Sleight, Chief Growth Officer at Mars Wrigley.
“Our ambition is to upend the expected, break through barriers, and discover the little joys shared in everyday life. Imagine a world with less judgment & more connection & consistent laughter,” the company said on its website.
But looking at photos, the differences on the surface appear to be minor. Orange M&M looks more nervous, Brown’s wearing lower heels, and Green has traded her trademark go-go boots for a pair of sneakers.
Which … why?
The characters also got new personality profiles on the M&M website. Who knew there were character profiles for the M&Ms?
While we see what the brand is trying to do here, we have to question why.
The marketing has worked behind M&Ms for years, and we don’t really hear people loudly protesting concerns about the M&Ms or their “behavior.” Did anyone take issue with this?
After all, people, these are candy caricatures – not real people.
While researching this subject, we turned to YouTube, and watched some past M&M commercial compilations. And for the most part, the commercials are light-hearted and fun, made enjoyable because the brand played off the fact that the candies are too delicious and fun to resist.
In fact, arguably the weirdest “personality trait” of the M&M characters is that they are kind of cannibalistic – isn’t it weird that the M&M characters snack on bags of the candies?
If nothing else, the brand has gotten a lot of attention over the last few days. And ultimately, in any marketing campaign, that’s the goal – more brand awareness.
But was it necessary? We don’t think so. M&Ms had a good thing going. Why change it?