Mars, Incorporated, is giving its popular anthropomorphized M&M’s characters a slight makeover to be more “inclusive.”
Mars said Thursday it was making a “global commitment to creating a world where everyone feels they belong and society is inclusive,” aiming to increase the “sense of belonging for 10 million people around the world by 2025.” Part of that campaign includes tweaking the M&M’s logo and the characters seen in chocolate candy commercials with “an updated tone of voice that is more inclusive, welcoming, and unifying, while remaining rooted in our signature jester, wit and humor.”
The change is most visible in their footwear. Red and Yellow’s shoes now have laces; Green switched from go-go boots to sneakers; Blue’s shoes are more like Uggs boots; Orange’s shoelaces are now tied; and Brown’s heels are a little lower. They also have more detailed personalities on the M&M’s website: Green says she’s a “hypewoman for my friends,” helping support women in leading roles.
Brown, voiced by Syracuse University alumna Vanessa Williams, says she’s “not bossy. Just the boss.”
Anton Vincent, president of Mars Wrigley North America, told CNN that the changes are “a subtle cue, but it’s a cue people really pick up on.”
He added that the goal is to make the characters “current” and “representative of our consumer,” especially the female M&M’s. It also enhances brand identification and gives a platform for talking about the idea of “belonging.”
Vincent said the two women characters — Green and Brown — will also be featured more in ads, putting them front and center to hopefully create “a little bit more gender balance” alongside the four male characters.
The M&M’s logo is also slightly different, appearing up straight instead of on its side.
M&M’s were first released in 1941 and debuted the anthropomorphic characters of Red and Yellow in 1954. Other colors were added over the years, most recently with “Ms. Brown” in 2012.
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