M&M’s Steps Back ‘Indefinitely’ From ‘Spokescandies’ After Boots Go-Go Missing
The beloved M&M’s spokescandies are making a sweet escape from public appearances after backlash has sent parent company Mars Wrigley rethinking if it should continue using the band of chocolate characters any longer.
Each M&M color is represented by a character of the same color that embodies different personalities attributed to each hue. However, last January, the candy company began moving to reinvent each M&M and steer the spokescandies towards diversity and inclusivity.
Some changes include Orange shedding his once anxious demeanor to embrace himself, and Red, who often took on a more angry persona, started acting kindly to his friends. But perhaps the most controversial change—and the move that all this stems from—is the loss of Green’s go-go boots.
What was deemed a subtle design choice that the company thought would go unnoticed apparently sparked an uproar that rippled through its fan community. And, of course, like many things on the internet, things escalated quickly, and M&M’s was caught in the crossfire of tweets demanding she get her boots back.
Even as things started to look good for the company with the introduction of a new spokescandy, Purple, and new packaging that flipped the status quo by featuring all the female characters on the packaging, it did not soothe the sore spot left after her boots had walked out of the picture.
The company’s post on Instagram clarified how “even a candy’s shoes can be polarizing.” With that, M&M’s replaces each beloved candy with actress Maya Rudolph. Her first appearance as now spokesperson and “Chief of Fun” will be at the upcoming Super Bowl LVII.
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Marketing Dive makes a point questioning if this is an attempt to stay ‘woke’. Or is it just a marketing ploy to drive up hype before the games? Whatever it is, the spokescandies will surely be missed.
[via Marketing Dive and CBS, cover image via M&M’s]
