Mars Wrigley has decided to take an “ indefinite pause ” from using the mascots. Mars Wrigley, the maker of the popular and colorful chocolate candies M&M’S, has pulled its “spokescandies” after a supposed controversy. The company announced Monday that it was taking an indefinite pause from using its cartoon “spokescandies” in its marketing and branding. All of this because some people got upset over the unveiling of a new spokescandy, Purple, meant to represent women’s rights.
M&M’s Spokescandies Taking A Indefinite Pause
M&M’s has stated that their beloved spokescandies are taking an indefinite pause to work on “personal projects”. This is to say that you won’t be seeing them on ads and in commercials for the foreseeable future. The pause came after Conservative commentator Tucker Carlson criticized Mars Wrigley for their ads, saying that Conservatives like himself were being alienated by them.
With sales dipping after going ‘woke’, Mars Wrigley is taking a break from using its spokescandies to focus on creating chocolate that appeals to consumers of all backgrounds and political views. It’s also clear that Mars Wrigley is taking this issue seriously, as they have shut down their MS Twitter account and are rethinking how they can use their spokescandies without alienating certain groups of people. (1)
“America, let’s talk,” M&M’s said in a statement Monday. “In the last year, we’ve made some changes to our spokescandies. We weren’t sure if anyone would even notice. And we definitely didn’t think it would break the internet.”
A message from M&M’S. pic.twitter.com/EMucEBTd9o
— M&M’S (@mmschocolate) January 23, 2023
Where The Controversy Began
The controversy began when Mars Wrigley announced that they were using actor Maya Rudolph and host Tucker Carlson in their new promotional wrapper. Carlson’s comments prompted a social media shitstorm following Fox News host, Gabrielle Wesley, criticizing Mars Wrigley for using mascots in a recent segment. This prompted Tucker Carlson to respond with his own comments, which further inflamed the situation. Mars Wrigley’s Chief Marketing Officer, Melissa Lora, apologized for the incident and said they had pulled their spokescandies from the campaign and would be rethinking how they approach marketing campaigns in the future. She also noted that sales had dipped after going “woke” and that they would be revisiting how to reach their audience without alienating certain groups of people. (2)
In light of this supposed controversy, M&M’s has pulled its so-called “spokescandies” and is replacing actress and comedian Maya Rudolph as the spokesperson for their brand. Ms. Rudolph was the first to portray a brown M&M in the Super Bowl ad that aired earlier this year. The humorous appearance of Ms. Rudolph portraying a candy mascot role made her a popular pick for the brand; however, M&M’s has decided to take an indefinite pause on having an actress appear in their commercials. (3)
“I am a lifelong lover of the candy and I feel like it’s such an honor to be asked to be part of such a legendary brand’s campaign.” said Maya Rudolph optimistically.
No More “Woke” Spokescandies
The company had unveiled a new look for its candy reps, including a new purple character, as part of a campaign to appeal to younger consumers. It even released an exclusive limited edition pack of greens shoes and sneakers. However, the decision to pull the spokescandies has been linked to the ‘Go Go Boots’ sneakers released last year in celebration of International Women’s Day. The special edition shoes caused quite a stir on social media and M&M’s decided it was best to remove any association with personalities and genders from their product. M&M’s is planning on going back to its roots with classic campaigns featuring their signature candy characters only.
Sources
- “Maya Rudolph is the new face of M&M’S. Polarizing spokescandies are taking a ‘pause’.” CNN. Danielle Wiener-Bronner. January 23, 2023.
- “M&M’s puts spokescandies on “indefinite pause” in wake of uproar over changes to green M&M.” CBC News. Caitlin O’Kane. January 23, 2023.
- “M&M’s ‘spokescandies’ controversy, explained.” Polygon. Ana Diaz. January 23, 2023.