M&Ms Redesigned Candy Characters Has Social Media Weighing in on Dramatic Changes

By Stephen Andrew

M&Ms has announced that it's well-known advertisement characters will be undergoing a dramatic change, amid the company's push for more inclusion, and the news has social media users weighing in. In a Thursday press release, the Mars, Incorporated brand shared its plans 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." Among the items on M&Ms list of ways to achieve better inclusion is taking "a fresh, modern take on the looks of our beloved characters and more nuanced personalities to underscore the importance of self-expression and power of community through storytelling."

"We're excited to reveal our new M&M'S brand look and feel, which fans will see come to life across all M&M'S touchpoints around the globe," said Jane Hwang, Global Marketing Vice President, Mars Wrigley. "From new product innovations to brand campaigns, our evolved characters and our experiential retail stores, we'll incorporate colorful visuals, inclusive messaging and our purpose into all we do to prove that all together, we're more fun. In fact, this purpose is already on full display at the new M&M'S store in Berlin, which features multiple languages on signage as an invitation to all and our most diverse Associate base that celebrates those from different cultures, backgrounds and generations."

"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," added Cathryn Sleight, Chief Growth Officer at Mars Wrigley. "As one of the world's most iconic candy brands, who better to commit to a world with more moments of fun by increasing a sense of belonging around the globe than M&M'S?" Notably the news has sparked a lot of chatter on social media. Scroll down to see what M&Ms fans are saying on Twitter.

"Dynamic"

"I don't eat candy bc it's 'dynamic,'" an upset M&Ms fan wrote in a tweet. "It's bc it Tastes Good! I know it's a marketing thing, but seriously, it's Taste not the packaging!"

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"Woke"

"They should make an older one for all the grandparents!" a Twitter user suggested.

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"21st Century"

"Finally. Wasn't comfortable buying M&Ms with all that outdated imagery. Lets hope other gas station foods like slim jims, camel cigarettes, and egg salad sandwiches will be joining us in the 21st century soon as well," somebody joked.

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"Ignoring Child Labor"

"Thank you M&Ms for redesigning the talking M&Ms to reflect the progress we've made as a society. My five year old daughter cries every time she watches the commercial where they meet Santa, because the talking M&Ms don't look like her, and neither does Santa," a Twitter user quipped.

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"Personalities"

"Huh? I just ate them. I didn't really think of them as having personalities," tweeted one M&Ms fan. "Not sure I can eat them thinking of them that way."

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"Sense of Belonging"

"It's candy. I put like twenty of them in my mouth at a time," someone commented. "The only sense of belonging I care about is how many of them belong in my belly."

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"Anthropomorphic Candy"

"Yes making anthropomorphic candy people more diverse is indeed a pressing issue that will solve world wide problems," a Twitter said sarcastically. "I can't imagine what its like to see a commercial where a piece of candy doesn't look or act like my ethnic group. Must be hell to live that way."

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