Candy is about to get more “inclusive,” with the maker of M&M’s announcing its famed characters are getting modern makeovers and will have more “nuanced personalities.”
Mars, Incorporated, the company behind the colorful, candy-coated chocolates, announced Thursday a “global commitment to creating a world where everyone feels they belong and society is inclusive.”
As part of the new mission to increase the “sense of belonging for 10 million people around the world by 2025,” Mars said the M&M’s characters — who serve as mascots of sorts for the brand — would be receiving fresh, new looks. -The Hill
Look I am 100000% about making everything as inclusive and accessible as possible. That covers everything from sports to music to fashion and everything in between. Everyone deserves a chance to participate in and enjoy whatever they want regardless of who they are. But I gotta ask - were there really people that choose to eat or not eat M&Ms because they didn't feel represented by the characters in their commercials? At no point in my life did I say "oh hey I am just like the witty red M&M so I am definitely gonna buy a bag now." I mean there might be people that have legit fantasies about the "sexy" green M&M, but overall it seemed simple to understand that it was just a piece of chocolate and not an actual sex icon. Did they ever even specify which M&M is what and why? I mean I felt like it was kind of an open concept - cause you know they are pieces of candy and not real people.
Well however you feel, all of these characters will get revamped to be safer and more inclusive. Actually now that I read the article again, it seems like they are simply targeting the green M&M to make her less sexy - UNFAIR. I totally love the idea of developing hundreds of different M&M characters with different personalities. You could create a million fun personas that reach people of all different ages and backgrounds and have content for ads for life - but do we need to mess with the core identity of the M&Ms? I mean there are a million problems in the world and this is what we've arrived at.
Look at some of the replies and quote tweets when you get time. I bet you get a bunch of laughs like I did.