M&M's

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This article is about the candy. For other uses, see M&M.

M&M's

Owner Mars, Incorporated

Country United States

Introduced September 10, 1941; 79 years ago

Related brands Minstrels, Revels, Treets

Markets Worldwide (over 100 countries)[1]

Website www.mms.com

M&M's are multi-colored button-shaped chocolates, each of which has the letter "m"
printed in lower case in white on one side, consisting of a candy shell surrounding a
filling which varies depending upon the variety of M&M's. The original candy has a semi-
 sweet chocolate filling which, upon introduction of other variations, was branded as the
"plain, normal" variety. Peanut M&M's, which feature a peanut coated in milk chocolate,
and finally a candy shell, were the first variation to be introduced, and they remain a
regular variety. Numerous other variations have been introduced, some of which are
regular widespread varieties (peanut butter, almond, pretzel, crispy, dark chocolate,
and caramel) while others are limited in duration or geographic availability. M&M's are
the flagship product of the Mars Wrigley Confectionery division of Mars, Incorporated.
The candy originated in the United States in 1941, [2] and M&M's have been sold in over
100 countries since 2003.[1] They are produced in different colors, some of which
have changed over the years. The candy-coated chocolate concept was inspired by a
method used to allow soldiers in the Spanish Civil War (1936–1939) [3] to carry chocolate
in warm climates without it melting. The company's longest-lasting slogan reflects this:
"Melts in your mouth, not in your hand." A traditional milk chocolate M&M weighs about
0.91 grams / 0.032 ounces[4] and has about 4.7 calories (cal) of food energy (1.7 cal
from fat).[5]

Contents

 1History
o 1.11940–70s
o 1.21980s
o 1.31990s
o 1.42000s
o 1.52010s
o 1.62020s
 2Varieties
 3Marketing
o 3.1E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial
o 3.2Marketing campaigns
o 3.3Joint marketing campaigns
o 3.4Related brands
 4M&M's characters
 5Color changes in chocolate M&M's
 6See also
 7References
 8External links

History
1940–70s
Plain/Milk Chocolate M&M's were introduced in 1941.

Forrest Mars, Sr., son of the Mars Company founder, Frank C. Mars, copied the idea for
the candy in the 1930s during the Spanish Civil War when he saw soldiers eating
British-made Smarties, chocolate pellets with a colored shell of what confectioners call
hard panning (essentially hardened sugar syrup) surrounding the outside, preventing
the sweets (candies) from melting. Mars received a patent for his own process on
March 3, 1941.[6] Production began in 1941 in a factory located at 285 Badger Avenue
in Clinton Hill, Newark, New Jersey. When the company was founded it was M&M
Limited.[7] The two 'M's represent the names of Forrest E. Mars Sr., the founder of
Newark Company, and Bruce Murrie, son of Hershey Chocolate's president William F.
R. Murrie, who had a 20 percent share in the product. [8] The arrangement allowed the
candies to be made with Hershey chocolate, as Hershey had control of
the rationed chocolate at the time.[6]

M&M's chocolate candy in cross-section with millimeter ruler for scale. Shows layers of hard panned coating.

The company's first big customer was the U.S. Army, which saw the invention as a way
to allow soldiers to carry chocolate in tropical climates without it melting. During World
War II, the candies were exclusively sold to the military. [9] The resulting demand for the
candies caused an increase in production and the company moved its factory to bigger
quarters at 200 North 12th Street in Newark, New Jersey, where it remained until 1958
when it moved to a bigger factory at Hackettstown. A second factory was opened
in Cleveland, Tennessee, in 1978.[10] Today, about half of the production of M&M’s
occurs at the New Jersey factory, and half at the Tennessee factory. [11]
Peanut M&M's were introduced in 1954.

In 1949, the brand introduced the tagline "Melts in your mouth, not in your hand." [12]
In 1950, a black "M" was imprinted on the candies giving them a unique trademark. It
was changed to white in 1954.[7]
In the early 1950s, the Midwest Research Institute (now MRIGlobal) in Kansas City,
Missouri, worked on behalf of M&M's to perfect a process whereby 3,300 pounds
(1,500 kg) of chocolate centers could be coated every hour.[13]
Peanut M&M's were introduced in 1954 but first appeared [14] only in the color tan. In
1960, M&M's added the yellow, red, and green colors. [15]
In 1976, the color orange was added to the mix to replace red, which was discontinued
in response to the "red dye scare" over Red Dyes #2 and #4 having been evaluated to
be carcinogenic in nature. Although M&M's were made with the less controversial Red
Dye #40, the public was wary of any food being dyed red. Red M&M's were re-
introduced in 1987. [12][16]
1980s
In the 1980s, M&M's were introduced internationally to Australia, Canada, Europe, Hong
Kong, Japan, Malaysia, and the United Kingdom. [17]
M&Ms Royals were marketed in the early 1980s with an advertising campaign that said:
"Now chocolate's got a whisper of mint." They were colored pale green or brown and
showed a crown rather than an M&Ms logo.
Although they were marketed and then withdrawn in the 1960s, almond-centred M&M's
were available again in 1988 in limited release, with appearances only
during Christmas and Easter times; they became a standard part of the product line in
1992.
Also in 1986, M&M's launched Holidays Chocolate Candies for Easter and Christmas,
with the Easter candies having a bunny, chick, and egg symbols on pastel-colored
shells, and the Christmas candies having pine tree, bell, and candle symbols on red and
green shells; with the latter also having a special mint flavor. By 1993, the holiday
symbols were replaced with the standard trademark "M".
1990s
In 1991, Peanut Butter M&M's were released. These candies have peanut butter inside
the chocolate shell and the same color scheme as the other varieties. As of at least
2013, the size of the peanut butter M&M has become slightly smaller.
In 1995, tan M&Ms were discontinued to be replaced by blue. To introduce the new
color, the Home Shopping Network televised a promotional video for the blue M&M.
Producer Jon Watson became the first man to wear the famous blue M&M suit. [18]
In 1996, Mars introduced "M&M's Minis", smaller candies usually sold in plastic tubes
instead of bags.[19]
In 1999, Crispy M&M's were released. They were slightly larger than the milk chocolate
variety and also featured a crispy wafer center. They were discontinued in the United
States in 2005 and remained available in Europe, and Southeast Asia. In January 2015,
they returned to production in the United States.
2000s
In July 2001, dulce de leche M&M's were introduced in five markets with large Hispanic
populations: Los Angeles, California; San Diego, California; Miami, Florida; McAllen-
Brownsville, Texas; and San Antonio, Texas.[20] The flavor never became popular with
the Hispanic community, who preferred existing M&M's flavors, and it was discontinued
in most areas by early 2003.[21]
2010s
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In 2010, Pretzel M&M's were released. They contain a crunchy, salty pretzel center
inside of the chocolate coating and are about the same size as the Peanut M&M's, but
their shape tends to be more spherical.[22]
In 2013, the M&M's chocolate bar was re-released. It was originally released in 2004
and named M-Azing.[23]
In 2014, Mega M&M's were re-introduced. Before then, the 'Mega M&M's' had been
released in 2007 promoting the Shrek movies, being dubbed "Ogre-Sized M&M's".[24]
In 2015, Crispy M&M's were re-introduced in the United States. They had remained
available continuously in Europe and Australia. [25]
In 2016, the M&M cookie was re-introduced in the United States.
Also in 2016, the M&M's flavor vote was created in which the fans could vote for either
Honey Nut, Coffee Nut, or Chili Nut M&M's. Coffee Nut was announced as the winner
by Tony Hale.[26]
In April 2017, M&M's chocolate blocks went on sale in Australia. Six varieties (milk
chocolate, strawberry, crispy, hazelnut, crispy mint and almond) are available. [27]
Also in 2017, Caramel M&M's were released in the United States. [28]
In 2019, the M&M's flavor vote cast three new flavors: English Toffee, Mexican
Jalapeño, and Thai Coconut, with English Toffee winning. [29][30]
Also in 2019, Hazelnut Spread M&M's were released in the United States. [31]
2020s
In 2020, Fudge Brownie M&M's were released in the United States.

Varieties
M&M's varieties have included the following sizes and fillings. Some have only been
made available for a limited time, such as white cheesecake for Easter, pumpkin spice
or white candy corn for Halloween, and White Strawberry Shortcake for Valentine's Day.

 sizes: regular (in the following flavors), minis, mega (×3 the chocolate) and the
"chocolate bar".
 chocolate: milk chocolate, dark chocolate, white chocolate
 nut: peanuts, almonds, hazelnuts, peanut butter, dark chocolate peanut, white chocolate
peanut, strawberried peanut butter, strawberry nut
 spice and herb: mint chocolate, cinnamon, pumpkin spice, white chocolate peppermint,
holiday mint, gingerbread, hot cross buns, mint crisp, crunchy mint, pumpkin spice latte,
mocha, coffee nut, honey nut, and chili nut.[32]
 fruit: orange chocolate, cherry, raspberry, cherry cordial, pineapple, coconut, candy
apple, tropical
 dessert: pretzel, birthday cake, white chocolate candy corn, red velvet, dulce de leche,
white chocolate carrot cake, vanilla shake, crispy, three milks (tres leches), white chocolate
pecan pie, caramel, crunchy caramel,salted caramel, fudge brownie, and lamington.
 colors: Easter regularly sees pastel-colored candies and Christmas bags have green
and red only. In the United States for Memorial Day, Independence Day and Labor Day the
candies are available in red, white and blue.

Marketing
Over the years, marketing has helped build and expand the M&M's brand. Computer-
animated graphics, personification of the candies as characters with cartoon-like
storytelling, and various merchandising techniques including the introduction of new
flavors, colors and customizable merchandise have helped to increase the brand's
recognition as a candy icon.
E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial
In 1982, the Mars candy bar company rejected the inclusion of M&M's in the
new Steven Spielberg movie E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial. Competitor Hershey, on the
other hand, took a chance with their Reese's Pieces, which is similar to M&M's but
contains a peanut butter filling, and with the movie's blockbuster success, its candy
sales dramatically increased, perhaps by as much as 300%. [33][34]
Marketing campaigns
Between 1982 and 1987, its slogan was "All the World Loves M&M's", accompanied by
a TV jingle of the same name. Actor Joel Higgins, then co-starring in the NBC-TV
sitcom Silver Spoons, co-wrote the song.[35]
In 1990, M&M's exhibited at New York's Erie County Fair a life-size fiberglass cow
covered with 66,000 M&M candies—each adhered by hand with the "m" logo on each
candy facing outward. According to a website run by the cow's designer, Michael
Adams, the stunt earned M&M Mars $1 million in free publicity because it was reported
on by Newsweek magazine, as well as the New York Post, UPI and WABC-TV,
and Live with Regis.[36]
In 1995, the company ran the M&M's Color Campaign, a contest in which participants
were given the choice of selecting purple, blue, or pink as the color of a new variety of
M&M's. The announcement of the winning color (blue) was carried on most of the
television networks' news programs, as well as the talk shows of David
Letterman and Jay Leno.[37] As part of the contest results, the company had the Empire
State Building lighted in blue.[37] Although the financial details of these deals were not
disclosed and neither was the campaign's effect on sales, one marketing book
estimated that the company "collected millions" in free publicity and that the campaign
"certainly" resulted in an increasing of the brand's awareness. [37]
In 1998, M&M's were styled as "The Official Candy of the New Millennium", as MM is
the Roman numeral for 2000. This date was also the release of the rainbow M&M's,
which are multi-colored and filled with a variety of different fillings.
In 2000, "Plain" M&M's (a name created in 1954 when "Peanut" M&M's were
introduced) were renamed "Milk Chocolate" M&M's, and pictures of the candy pieces
were added to the traditional brown and white packaging. [38]
In 2004, M&M's adopted the 1967 Petula Clark song "Colour My World" for its TV ads,
albeit using newly recorded versions with other singers. [39]
Joint marketing campaigns
In 1990, Mars Snackfood US signed up to be a sponsor for NASCAR in the NASCAR
Cup Series. Drivers for the M&M's-sponsored car through the years have included Ernie
Irvan (1999), Ken Schrader (2000–02), Eliott Sadler (2003–06), Ricky
Rudd (2007), David Gilliland (2006–07), Kyle Busch (2008–current, won 2015 Sprint
Cup Series Championship & 2019 Monster Energy Cup Series Championship),
and Michael McDowell.
The introduction of the blue M&M to Australia was promoted by the Australian Football
League's Carlton Football Club, which wore sky-blue colored guernseys in one of its
matches in 1997 instead of its traditional navy blue – a color which the successful and
fiercely traditional club had worn since the 1870s. [40] In 2010, Mars Snackfood Australia
described it as the most successful promotional campaign it had ever engaged in. [41]
In April 2005, M&M's ran the "mPire" promotion to tie in with the Star Wars: Episode III
– Revenge of the Sith movie release. M&M's were offered in dark chocolate varieties
(regular and Peanut) for the first time after a string of Addams Family M&M's
commercials.
M&M's World London

In May 2004, M&M's ran a Shrek 2 promotion to tie in with the movie's release. M&M's
were offered "ogre-sized" (65% larger) in swamp/ogre colors. They were sold at many
stores displayed in huge cardboard-cutout ogre displays.
In the summer of 2005, Mars added "Mega M&M's" to the lineup. [42] These candies, at
55% larger than the traditional M&M's, were a little smaller than the ogre-sized version.
They were available in Milk Chocolate and Peanut varieties. The colors for Mega M&M's
were changed to less-bright colors, ostensibly to appeal to older consumers: teal
(replacing green), beige (replacing orange), maroon (replacing red), gold (replacing
yellow), blue-gray (replacing blue), and brown.

Outside of M&M's World in Times Square, New York City

In July 2006, Dark Chocolate M&M's reappeared in a purple package, followed in 2007
by Dark Chocolate Peanut M&M's. Also in 2006, the company piloted White Chocolate
M&M's as a tie-in with their Pirates of the Caribbean promotion. The company also
offered eight new flavors of M&M's via online sales, as well as at M&M's
World locations: "All That Razz"; "Eat, Drink, & Be Cherry"; "A Day at the Peach";
"Orange-U-Glad"; "Mint Condition";