M&Ms launches woke female-only special edition bag of candy featuring ‘lesbian’ green and brown
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M&M’s is launching ‘women’s only’ awakening packs to celebrate female empowerment and try to shake things up in an ongoing shift towards a progressive brand.
Mars, the parent company of M&M’s, introduced feminist candy wrappers earlier this week, exclusively featuring the company’s three female mascots: green, brown, and the newly introduced purple.
The all-female package, turned upside down, to show how powerful women have “changed the status quo”, will be the first time brown and green M&Ms have been presented together since a viral tweet of 2015 sparked rumors that they were a lesbian couple.
The tweet contained an image of the two characters holding hands on the beach, posted just two days after the Supreme Court effectively legalized gay marriage.
In fact, a search for the two characters on the notorious Archive Of Our Own fan fiction site yields 11 different results. The green M&M allegedly posted the tweet herself, writing, “It’s rare that Ms. Brown and I spend time together without some colorful characters showing up.”
M&M’s will honor women with ‘all-female’ packages to celebrate female empowerment and try to shake things up.
Each of these limited run packs will only include the girly-coded green, brown, and purple versions of the miniature candies.
There will be milk chocolate, peanut and peanut butter versions of the reverse packs, showcasing how women “are changing the way they define success.”
Mars has rebranded M&M’s several times in recent years in an attempt to appear more forward-thinking, with new CEO Poul Weihrauch looking to continue the trend.
They debuted ‘Purple’, the first female spokesperson for peanut M&Ms, which has been designed to represent acceptance and inclusion and is ‘quirky, confident and authentic’.
More than 10 million fans voted to add the color to the confectionery’s current rainbow in May, beating out aqua and pink.
Purple’s arrival was heralded with ‘I’m Just Gonna Be Me,’ a new promotional song and music video, which dropped Tuesday.
The female pack, turned upside down, to show how powerful women have “changed the status quo”, will be the first time brown and green M&Ms have been featured together since a viral 2015 tweet of the two characters holding hands at the beach.
This viral 2015 tweet of the two characters holding hands on the beach, posted two days after the Supreme Court effectively legalized gay marriage, sparked rampant speculation across the web about a possible flirtation between them. Now, Mars says that their relationship is based on the two of them “casting shine and not shadow.”
Mars has rebranded M&M’s several times in recent years in an attempt to appear more progressive, with new CEO Poul Weihrauch (pictured) looking to continue the trend.
US-based company Mars has introduced ‘Purple’, the first female peanut spokes M&M, which has been designed to represent acceptance and inclusion.
More than 10 million fans voted to add the color to the confectionery’s current rainbow (pictured) in May, beating out aqua and pink.
Jane Hwang, Global Vice President of Mars Wrigley, said: “There are many things about our new spokesperson that people can relate to and appreciate, including her willingness to embrace her true selves – our new character reminds us to celebrate what makes us unique.” .
Purple joins the legendary cast of M&M characters, who were given an update with updated looks and more nuanced personalities in January.
The iconic M&M characters, ubiquitous in chocolate candy commercials for decades, are getting a makeover that the company says will bring them in line with a “more dynamic and progressive world.”
The changes, which took effect immediately, give the characters a more modern look to emphasize the ‘personalities’ of the characters.
The biggest changes seem to be in the two female M&M’s, the green and the brown.
Mars, the maker of the candy, has been criticized in the past for making the green M&M too sexy and promoting a rivalry or possible flirtation with the brown M&M.
The new post-Mars ‘progressive’ M&Ms announced a rebrand and redesign effort that the company says will bring them in line with a ‘more dynamic and progressive world.’
BEFORE: The original M&M characters. Mars, the maker of the candy, has been criticized in the past for making the green M&M too sexy and promoting a rivalry or possible flirtation with the brown M&M.
A before and after of the well-known green M&Ms, often criticized for being sexualized. He will now wear sneakers instead of stiletto boots.
A before and after of the brown M&M, which will no longer be called ‘Ms. Brown’ to emphasize personality rather than gender and now she will wear a ‘more professional’ heel
The solution seems to be for the green M&M to lose its stiletto boots in favor of sneakers and for the brown M&M to wear slightly lower heels than before, in what Mars spokespeople called a “professional height.”
Mars wants the green M&M to be “better represented to reflect confidence and empowerment, as a strong woman known for much more than her boots.”
As for the relationship between the green and brown M&M’s, it will be based on the two ‘together they cast brightness and not shadow’, as a reaction to how the two have been at odds at times in promotional material.
Each M&M has been given a question and answer session to explain their new characters in the candy websitein which the brown M&M claims to be ‘not bossy, just the boss’.
Mars is also doubling down on the eager orange M&M, who the company believes is “one of the most relatable characters with Gen-Z, the most eager generation.”
The orange M&M previously wore his shoes untied, but will now have them tied up in an effort to represent his cautious nature, according to Mars.
Voiced by cartoon icon Billy West in commercials and often vacillating between leader and bully with the other M&Ms, the red M&M will be adjusted to be nicer to his fellow characters.
The classically silly yellow M&M seems to remain so. He was once quoted as saying that the first thing he would do if today was his last day is to ‘wake up’.
Mars hopes these changes show the importance of ‘self-expression and the power of community’.
A before and after of the eager orange M&M, which has been redrawn to show her laced shoes, emphasizing her cautious nature. Mars believes that he is “one of the most relatable characters with Gen-Z, the most anxious generation.”
M&M’s will also be using a variety of different shapes and sizes of the brand’s iconic and colorful candies.
Mars also plans to commit to gender-balanced leadership teams and an “annual diversity audit” independent of company advertising.
‘M&M’s has long been committed to creating colorful fun for everyone, and this purpose serves as a more concrete commitment to what we have 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 like they belong,’ said Cathryn Sleight, director of growth at Mars Wrigley.