 Logo used since 2022 | |
 | |
| Owner | Mars Inc. |
|---|---|
| Country | United States |
| Introduced | September 10, 1941; 83 years ago (1941-09-10) |
| Related brands | Minstrels,Revels,Treets |
| Markets | Worldwide (more than 100 countries)[1] |
| Website | mms |
M&M's is the brand name of a color-varied sugar-coated,dragéechocolateconfectionery made by theMars Wrigley Confectionery division ofMars Inc. that was founded as M&M Limited in 1941. The confection consists of a candy shell surrounding a filling that determines the specific type or variety. Each piece has the letter "m" printed inlower case in white on one side. They are produced in different colors, some of which have changed over the years.
The original confection of this brand had asemi-sweet chocolate filling that upon introduction of other varieties, was branded as the "plain, normal" variety. The first variety to be introduced was the Peanut M&M that featured a peanut coated in milk chocolate and finally, coated with a candy shell. That remains a regular variety. Numerous other varieties have been introduced, some of which are regular widespread varieties (peanut butter,almond,pretzel, crispy,dark chocolate, andcaramel) while other varieties are limited in duration or geographic availability.
In 1941, the confection came into production in the United States.[2] Since 2003, the confections have been sold in more than 100 countries.[1] The candy-coated chocolate confection was created byForrest Mars Sr., likely inspired fromSmarties confection that he may have encountered during theSpanish Civil War (1936–1939).[3] A sugar coating made it possible to carry chocolate in warm climateswithout it melting and that characteristic eventually prompted his company's longest-lasting marketing slogan that became, "the milk chocolate that melts in your mouth, not in your hand".
A traditional milk chocolate M&M weighs approximately 0.91 grams / 0.032 ounces.[4] It has approximately 4.7calories (kcal) offood energy (1.7 kcal from fat).[5] Contrary to a misconception held by some, each colored M&M does not have a different flavor, all possess the same chocolate taste.[6]
In the 1930s,Forrest Mars Sr., son of the Mars Company founder,Franklin Clarence Mars, saw soldiers in theSpanish Civil War eatingSmarties, British-made chocolate pellets with a colored shell of what confectioners call hard panning (essentially hardened sugar syrup) surrounding the outside, preventing the chocolate confection from melting that were produced under the brand name, Rowntree.
On March 3, 1941 in the United States, Mars received apatent for his own process.[7] When his confection company was founded it was entitled, M&M Limited.[8] The two Ms represent the last names of Forrest E. Mars Sr. and Bruce Murrie, the son ofthe Hershey Chocolate Company president, William F. R. Murrie, who had a 20 percent share in the product.[9] The arrangement allowed the candies to be made with Hershey chocolate, as at the time, Hershey had control of therationed chocolate in USA.[7] Production of the confection began in 1941 in a factory located at 285 Badger Avenue inClinton Hill, Newark, New Jersey.
Nestlé archives note that George Harris of Rowntree did not attempt to sue Mars for stealing the concept for Smarties and that after much negotiation, Harris and Forrest Mars Sr. agreed to share the marketplace rather than to compete,[10] with Rowntree making Mars Bars in Canada, Erie, and South Africa and with Mars making the sugar-coated confection in the United States without competition from Smarties.[11]
The company's first big customer was theU.S. Army, which saw the invention as a way to allow soldiers to carry chocolate in tropical climates without it melting. DuringWorld War II, the candies were exclusively sold to the military.[12] The resulting demand caused an increase in production and the company moved its factory to bigger quarters at 200 North Twelfth Street inNewark, New Jersey. In 1958, the company moved to a bigger factory atHackettstown. A second factory was opened inCleveland, Tennessee, in 1978.[13] Today, about half of the production of the confection occurs at the New Jersey factory, and half at the Tennessee factory.[14]
In 1949, the brand introduced the tagline "the milk chocolate that melts in your mouth, not in your hand".[15] In 1950, a black "M" was imprinted on the candies giving them a unique trademark. It was changed to white in 1954.[8] In the early 1950s, the Midwest Research Institute (nowMRIGlobal) inKansas City, Missouri, worked on behalf of the confection company to perfect a process whereby 3,300 pounds (1,500 kg) of chocolate centers could be coated every hour.[16]
A peanut variety was introduced in 1954 and appeared only in the color tan.[17] In 1960, the company added the yellow, red, and green colors.[18]
In the 1960s, an almond-centered variety was marketed and then withdrawn until a later reintroduction twenty years later.
In 1976, the color orange was added to the mix to replace red, which was discontinued in response to the "red dye scare" overRed Dyes #2 and#4 having been evaluated ascarcinogenic. Although the M&M's confections were made with the less controversialRed Dye #40, the public was wary of any food being dyed red. The red variety was reintroduced in 1987, however.[15][19]
In the 1980s, the confections were introduced internationally to Australia, Canada, Europe, Hong Kong, Japan, Malaysia, and the United Kingdom.[20] M&Ms Royals were marketed in the early 1980s with an advertising campaign that said: "Now chocolate's got a whisper of mint." They were colored pale green or brown and showed a crown rather than an M&Ms logo.
Holidays Chocolate Candies for Easter and Christmas were launched in 1986, with the Easter confection having a bunny, chick, and egg symbols on pastel-colored shells and the Christmas confection having pine tree, bell, and candle symbols on red and green shells; with the latter also having a special mint flavor. By 1993, the holiday symbols would be replaced with the standard trademark "M".
In 1988, the almond-centered variety once offered in the 1960s became available again in limited release, with appearances only duringChristmas andEaster times. They would become a standard part of the product line in 1992.
In 1991, the Peanut Butter variety was released. These candies havepeanut butter inside the chocolate shell and the same color scheme as the other varieties of the confection. As of at least 2013, the size of the peanut butter M&M has become slightly smaller. In 1995, tan M&Ms were discontinued to be replaced by blue. To introduce the new color, the Home Shopping Network televised a promotional video for the blue M&M. Producer Jon Watson became the first man to wear the famous blue M&M suit.[21]
During the 1990s, Europe first began to adopt the M&M's brand name, replacing existing products. Two of these products were known as "Treets" and "Bonitos".[citation needed] In 1996, Mars introduced "M&M's Minis", smaller confections usually sold in plastic tubes instead of bags.[22] In 1999, Crispy M&Ms were released. They were slightly larger than the milk chocolate variety and also featured a crispy wafer center. The Crispy variety was discontinued in the United States in 2005, before being reintroduced in 2015 and re-discontinued in 2022 to make way for the Crunchy Cookie flavor; however, they remained continually available in Europe and Australia.[23]
In July 2001, thedulce de leche variety was introduced in five markets with large Hispanic populations:Los Angeles, California;San Diego, California;Miami, Florida;McAllen-Brownsville, Texas; andSan Antonio, Texas.[24] The product never became popular with the Hispanic community, who preferred existing varieties, and the variety was discontinued in most areas by early 2003.[25]
Several other varieties of M&M debuted throughout the 2010s. These include a Pretzel variety released in 2010,[26] a limited edition Coffee Nut variety released in 2016,[27] another Caramel variety released in 2017,[28] a limited edition English Toffee variety released in 2019,[29][30] and a limited edition Hazelnut Spread variety also released in 2019.[31]
A range of additional products was launched in the 2000s and 2010s to expand beyond the traditional line of candies. A chocolate bar called theM-Azing was initially released in 2004, and subsequently relaunched in 2013,[32] oversized confections entitled the "Mega" variety were briefly released in 2007 to promote theShrek film series, before being introduced as a standalone product in 2014,[33] M&M cookies began to be sold in the United States in 2016,[34] and M&M chocolate blocks were released in Australia in 2017.[35]
In 2020, a Fudge Brownie variety was released in the United States. They were discontinued in April 2024.
On September 28, 2022, the introduction of a purple variety was announced, as well as their newest "spokescandy", Purple.[36]
Over the years, marketing has helped build and expand the M&M's brand. Computer-animated graphics, personification of the confections as characters with cartoon-like storytelling, and various merchandising techniques including the introduction of new flavors, colors, and customizable merchandise have helped to increase the brand's recognition as a candy icon.
In 1982, theMars candy bar company rejected the inclusion of the confection in the newSteven Spielberg filmE.T. the Extra-Terrestrial. However, competitorHershey took a chance with theirReese's Pieces that are similar, but contain a peanut butter filling. With the film'sblockbuster success, Reese's Pieces sales dramatically increased, perhaps by as much as 300%.[37][38]
Between 1982 and 1987, the companyslogan was "All the World Loves M&M's", accompanied by a televisionjingle of the same name. ActorJoel Higgins, then co-starring in the NBC-TV sitcomSilver Spoons, co-wrote the song.[39]
In 1990 at New York's Erie County Fair, the company exhibited a life-size fiberglass cow covered with 66,000 M&M candies—each adhered by hand with the "m" logo on each candy facing outward. According to a website run by the cow's designer, Michael Adams, the stunt earned M&M Mars $1 million in free publicity because it was reported on byNewsweek magazine, as well as theNew York Post,UPI,WABC-TV, andLive with Regis.[40]
In 1995, the company ran M&M's Color Campaign, a contest in which participants were given the choice of selecting purple, blue, or pink as the color of a new variety of the confection. The announcement of the winning color (blue) was carried on most of the network television news programs, as well as the talk shows ofDavid Letterman andJay Leno.[41] As part of the contest results, the company had theEmpire State Building lighted in blue.[41] Although the financial details of these deals were not disclosed and neither was the effect of the campaign on sales, one marketing book estimated that the company "collected millions" in free publicity and that the campaign "certainly" resulted in an increasing of brand awareness.[41]
In 1996, Mars produced Christmas-themed advertisement for the confections in which the Red and Yellow characters run intoSanta Claus onChristmas Eve. Similarly to competitor Hershey'sown Christmas-themed commercial. The commercial proved immensely successful and has re-aired every December since, becoming their longest-running television commercial.
Since MM is the Roman numeral for 2000, the confections were styled as "The Official Candy of the New Millennium" in 1998. This date was also the release of the rainbow variety that are multi-colored and filled with an assortment of different fillings.[citation needed]
In 2000, the "Plain" variety (a name created in 1954 when "Peanut" variety was introduced) was renamed "Milk Chocolate" and images of the colorful confections were added to the traditional brown and white packaging.[42]
In 2004, the company adopted the 1967Petula Clark song "Colour My World" for its television ads, albeit using newly recorded versions with other singers.[43]
In 1990, Mars Snackfood US signed up to be a sponsor forNASCAR in theNASCAR Cup Series. Through the years, drivers for their sponsored car have included:Ernie Irvan (1999),Ken Schrader (2000–02),Elliott Sadler (2003–06),Ricky Rudd (2007),David Gilliland (2006–07),Michael McDowell,Matt Crafton,Erik Jones,David Ragan, andKyle Busch (2008–2022, who won 2015 Sprint Cup Series Championship & 2019 Monster Energy Cup Series Championship). 2022 would be the final year for Mars as Busch’s sponsor. Mars also sponsored Busch in theXfinity Series andCraftsman Truck Series along with Busch’s team,Kyle Busch Motorsports. Mars sponsored the 2022 NASCAR Cup Race at Pocono, entitled the “M&M’s Fan Appreciation 400”.
The introduction of the blue M&M to Australia was promoted by theAustralian Football League'sCarlton Football Club that wore sky-blue colored guernseys in one of its matches in1997 instead of its traditional navy blue – a color the successful and fiercely traditional club had worn since the 1870s.[44] In 2010, Mars Snackfood Australia described it as the most successful promotional campaign it had ever engaged in.[45]
In April 2005, the company ran the "mPire" promotion to tie in with theStar Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith film release. M&M's were offered in dark chocolate varieties (regular and Peanut) for the first time after a string ofAddams Family commercials for the confection.
In May 2004, the Mars company ran aShrek 2 promotion to tie in the confection with the release of the film. The confections were offered as "ogre-sized" (65% larger) and in swamp-ogre colors. They were sold at many stores displayed in huge cardboard-cutout ogre displays. In the summer of 2005, Mars added "Mega" to the product lineup.[46] These confections, at 55% larger than the traditional size, were a little smaller than the ogre-sized version. They were available in milk chocolate and peanut varieties. The colors of the sugarcoating were changed to less-bright colors, ostensibly to appeal to older consumers: teal (replacing green), beige (replacing orange), maroon (replacing red), gold (replacing yellow), blue-gray (replacing blue), and brown.
In July 2006, a dark chocolate variety reappeared in a purple package, followed in 2007 by a dark chocolate peanut variety. Also in 2006, the company piloted a white chocolate variety as a tie-in with theirPirates of the Caribbean promotion. The company also offered eight new flavors of the confection via online sales, as well as atM&M's World locations: "All That Razz"; "Eat, Drink, & Be Cherry"; "A Day at the Peach"; "Orange-U-Glad"; "Mint Condition"; "AlmonDeeLicious"; "Nut What You Think"; and "Cookie Monster". Mars also released a "Crispy Mint" variety in Australia that year.
The M&M confections became the official chocolate ofNASCAR in 2006.
In 2007, the company introduced a limited-edition raspberry flavor called "M&M's Razzberry Chocolate Candies".
Also in 2007, the company produced a 50-feet tall, smiling Lady Liberty M&M statue to kick off a campaign encouraging Americans to create their own M&M characters at mms.com. The website allows for people to log in, in order to create their own character from scratch, choosing features such as the color, shape, hair, and accessories.
In 2008, two limited-edition varieties of the confection were introduced, "Wildly Cherry" and, as a marketing tie-in with the filmIndiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, "Mint Crisp".
They also introduced another new product entitled "M&M's Premiums" in 2008. They were introduced in five flavors: chocolate almond, mint chocolate, mocha, raspberry almond, and triple chocolate (milk, dark, and white chocolate) that are sold in small upright cartons with a plastic bag inside. They do not have a candy shell, but are coated withcarnauba wax and color. Dark chocolate was added in 2009, replacing mocha.
During the summer of 2008, the company launched "Faces", which allows consumers to print the faces of loved ones on chocolate candies via My M&M's at mymms.com.
In February 2009, the company launched the "M&M's Colour Break-Up" promotion in Australia, where the confections were sold in separate packs (one for each color): the packs included a code to win prizes.[47]
In summer 2009, they launched a limited-edition "Strawberried Peanut Butter" variety to tie in with the release ofTransformers: Revenge of the Fallen. At the same time, they launched another limited-edition "Coconut" variety that became a permanent item in 2010.
In early 2010, M&M's "Bare All" were released as part of a competition in Australia and New Zealand.[48][49] The packages contained ordinary M&Ms, but without colored shells. The Bare All confections won the competition and an official website was launched, along with television advertisements.[50][51] In April 2010, M&M's launched a new Pretzel variety.[26] In November 2011, Mars released a limited variety for Christmas, M&M's Cinnamon Milk Chocolate.[52]
About the time the pretzel variety came out, the wrapper designs in the United States were redone from the design used from 2004 to early 2010.[26]
In 2012, two new dark chocolate flavors were released, Raspberry and Mint. Also that year, a white chocolate flavor was released for the Easter season. Onward from May 30, 2012, launching fromMacau was planned. In 2012, the peanut variety was produced in the UK in a limited-edition "Red, White, and Blues only" package, in connection with the country's Diamond Jubilee and2012 Summer Olympics. The "M" remains white on the white candies. The commercial advertising for this promotional campaign had Yellow donning various outfits of British stereotypes to try to get into the limited-edition package. Similarly, to promote the2014 FIFA World Cup in the UK, the peanut variety would be produced in a package that contained only green, yellow, and blue confections, to reflect the colors of the flag of Brazil; these were dubbed as limited-edition "Brazilian M&Ms" in the accompanying commercial. "Brazilian M&Ms" were re-released in 2016 to promote the2016 Summer Olympics, but were available in both Chocolate and Peanut.
In 2013, the company launched the "Better with M" campaign that included cause-related marketing. The campaign worked withHabitat for Humanity and encouraged fans to use a Facebook app to volunteer at the various sites where the homes were being built.[53] The advertising campaign was one of the largest that Mars had ever executed.[53] The 2013 "America Better With M" initiative sought to provide money directly to Habitat for Humanity through offering limited versions of the candy in red, white, and blue.
Since 1988, specially designed packages of red, white, and bluePresidential M&M's have been given as souvenirs to guests ofpresidents of the United States. One side of the box containing the candy features thepresidential seal and the signature of the current president; the other side of the box includes an M&M character flying the American flag. A common misconception exists that every candy handed out at the White House is stamped with the presidential seal. However, some U.S. embassies around the world do give out M&Ms stamped individually with theseal of the United States.
M&M's World specialty shops have been established in some locations, including Las Vegas, Orlando, New York, London, and Shanghai.
SeveralM&Ms-themed video games have been created. The first wasM&M's The Lost Formulas, released on September 28, 2000.
Related confection brands from Mars includeMinstrels,Revels,Skittles, andTreets.
Early black-and-white ads for the cconfection in 1954 featured two talking, anthropomorphic M&M characters—one plain and one peanut—diving into a swimming pool full of chocolate.[54]
The first incarnation of the characters in CGI was a 1994 celebrity campaign that had the characters interacting with celebrities on which M&M candy color is their favorite. This campaign was created byBlue Sky Studios. Concurrent with the 1995 blue M&M campaign, the company introduced a second set of computer-animated"spokescandies" in theirtelevision commercials. The depiction and campaign of the M&Ms were made byWill Vinton in 1995. Vinton previously created theclay-animatedCalifornia Raisins in 1986. Around the time he worked on CGI projects, he made the depiction of the M&M characters as more mature than most food mascots. These include the team of thecynical andsardonic Red (originally voiced byJon Lovitz, thereafterBilly West),[55] who is the voice of the mascots formilk chocolate,peanut butter, and crispy. The happy andgullible Yellow (originally voiced byJohn Goodman, thereafter was voiced byJ. K. Simmons), who is the mascot for Peanut and originally was known as "Peanut" when that variety was first introduced. Other mascots include the "cool one", Blue (voiced by Robb Pruitt),[56][57] who is the mascot forAlmond M&M's; theseductive Green (her personality is a reference to the 1970surban legend that green M&Ms were aphrodisiacs)[58] (voiced byCree Summer; Larissa Murray),[57] who is the mascot for bothDark Chocolate Mint andPeanut Butter, and the slightlyneurotic Orange (voiced by Eric Kirchberger), who was introduced when the Crispy variety was first released and is currently the mascot Pretzel that debuted in 2010. As the mascot of Pretzel, Orange was joined by the second non-M&M mascot, Pretzel Guy, who "supports" the character and offers helpful advice who hates the idea of having a pretzel put inside his body.
Other mascots who were introduced, but no longer used, are Almond, the original green guy; Orange, a female peanut character; Chocolate Bar (voiced byPhil Hartman),[57] the first non-M&M character that always gets foiled or outdone by Red and Yellow by being melted, as M&Ms do not melt; and the Swarmees for the Minis candies, which are portrayed as destructive yet crafty troublemakers whom Red and Yellow are always trying unsuccessfully to contain after they accidentally released them in the product's initial commercial.
Female M&M mascots were introduced in 1995. Green was the Milk Chocolate mascot and Tan was the Peanut. Marketing discontinued Tan when they introduced the then-new Blue mascot. Green was the only female M&M mascot from her introduction in 1995 until 2012 when the company unveiled a new additional "spokescandy", Ms. Brown (voiced by actressVanessa Williams), the "Chief Chocolate Officer".[59] During aSuper Bowl LII advertisement, Red was transformed into a human after finding a lucky penny and wishing that he was inedible. As a human, he is portrayed byDanny DeVito.[60]
In January 2022, Mars announced plans to alter the design of the M&M characters. The company announced that the aim of this change was to make their characters more representative of a broader array of human personalities and personal backgrounds. Among these changes is the adoption of more casual clothing for the Green and Brown, both of which are generally interpreted to be female characters.[61] In September 2022, the company introduced a new Purple M&M voiced byAmber Ruffin,[62] who first appeared in a commercial singing "I'm Just Gonna Be Me".[63]
Referencing criticism surrounding the changes fromconservative media outlets, the company teased aSuper Bowl LVII commercial in January 2023 by making a fictitious announcement that the characters were being temporarily retired and replaced by comedianMaya Rudolph.[64][65] In subsequent teasers leading up to the game, Rudolph was shown hijacking the M&M's brand in her own image, re-launching them as "Ma&Ya's" candy-coatedclams. Concurrently, the company characters were depicted as "exploring their outside passions", collaborating with other brands such asCheddar,eBay,Snickers,Spotify, andZappos.[66][67] During the eventual ad for Ma&Ya's, Red makes a cameo during its final scene alongside Yellow, holding up a sign reading "Help!" Following the game, the confection company then posted a "press conference" confirming the "spokescandies" had been reinstated.[68]
| Character | Type | Voice actor |
|---|---|---|
| Red | Milk Chocolate, Dark Chocolate, Peanut Butter, and Crispy |
|
| Yellow | Peanut and Dark Chocolate Peanut |
|
| Blue | Almond, Raspberry, Dark Chocolate, and Hazelnut Spread |
|
| Green | Dark Chocolate, Mint, and Peanut Butter |
|
| Orange (Crispy) | Crispy and Pretzel |
|
| Ms. Brown | Dark Chocolate, Milk Chocolate, and Fudge Brownie | |
| Purple | Peanut, Caramel, Cold Brew, Vegan, and Hazelnut Spread | |
| Caramel (cube) | Caramel | |
| Pretzel Guy (symmetrical) | Pretzel |
The original 1941 colors of M&M candies werered,yellow,violet,green, andbrown.[69] Violet was discontinued and replaced withtan in the late 1940s.
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In 1976, Mars eliminated red-colored M&Ms[70] because of health concerns over the dyeamaranth (FD&C Red #2) that was a suspectedcarcinogen and they introduced the orange variety. Despite the fact that M&Ms never had contained the dye, this action was taken by Mars purely to avoid any concerns by worried consumers.[15] Ten years later, a student atUniversity of Tennessee, Paul Hethmon, started a joke campaign to reinstate red M&Ms that would eventually become a worldwide phenomenon.[71] The red M&Ms variety was reintroduced as a result and the orange variety that had replaced them were kept in production.
In Europe, red M&Ms contain the red dyecarmine (E120, cochineal).[72]
In early 1995, Mars ran a promotion in which consumers were invited to vote on which of blue, pink, or purple would replace the tan M&Ms. Blue was the winning color with 54% of the votes.[73] Consumers could vote by calling 1-800-fun-color. Ads for the new blue colors featured a plain and an almond blue M&M character. Red and Yellow were depicted as trying to do takes in the commercial by painting themselves blue where they appear on stage withB. B. King singing the blues, but the filmmakers had to cut the scene as they were not using the correct shade of blue proposed. Another version of the commercial featured Red and Yellow holding their breath to resemble the new blue M&Ms whereSteven Weber sees the three M&M characters, Red, Yellow, and Blue; and one more version featuring Weber asking the blue M&M whether or not it had dived into the chocolate pool.
Tan was replaced in late 1995.
In 2002, Mars solicited votes in their first ever "M&M's Global Color Vote" to add a new color from three choices:aqua (turquoise),pink, and purple. To help the colors get votes,Ken Schrader and hisMB2 Motorsports team, who was sponsored by the company at the time, ran four paint schemes during the2002 NASCAR Winston Cup Series season representing the promotion (one for aqua, one for pink, one for purple, and another one with all three colors on the car). Once purple won and was featured for a limited time, specially marked packages of the confection were released. Finding a bag of all purple M&Ms entitled American customers to a prize of 100 millionJapanese yen (equivalent to approximately US$852,000), payable in U.S. dollars. Other cash prizes, numbering more than 50,000, came ineuros,Australian dollars,Brazilian reais,Mexican pesos, and U.S.pennies.
Since 2004, M&Ms have been available online in 17 colors with personalized phrases on each candy on the opposite side from the "m".[74] Released around Christmas, these custom-printed M&Ms were originally intended forholiday greetings, but are now available all year round.
For the 2008Valentine's Day season, Mars introduced all-green bags of M&Ms. This was due to commonurban folklore that says green ones are anaphrodisiac.[75] The green ones were brought back for the 2009 season alongside the "Ms. Green Heats Up Valentine's Day" contest.
In October 2011, Mars released M&M'sWhite ChocolateCandy Corn exclusively in the United States forHalloween. These candies come in three candy corn inspired colors: white, bright yellow, and bright orange.
The following is a summary of the changes to the colors of the flagship (milk chocolate) flavor, the only filling manufactured continuously since the beginning of the production of the confection. From 1941 until 1969, each package contained M&Ms in five different colors; when red M&Ms were reintroduced in 1987, they were added as a sixth color instead of replacing any of the existing colors.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)The company released an M&M's cookie in 2016.
...when Mars, Inc. passed on the chance for its flagship product, M&Ms, to be the candy used in 1982 filmE.T. the Extra-Terrestrial. Its turn-down cleared the way for Hershey Foods Corporation to make a remarkable splash for its Reese's Pieces
The only reason Reese's Pieces got the lucrative product placement in the first place was because M&Ms had already refused the filmmakers permission to use its product in the film
1970s food dye scare eliminated red M&M's for more than a decade until a college student successfully rallied for their return
smarties tablet candy history.
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