M&M's Characters Get New Look

M&M's branding is getting a refresh. 

The candy's anthropomorphized chocolate characters are being made over, and the logo is getting a tweak. M&M's parent company Mars appear to have decided it was time to keep them in step with the times. 

Don't laugh but the most noticeable change to the six M&M characters: new shoes. Green has swapped her go-go boots for "cool, laid-back sneakers to reflect her effortless confidence". Brown swapped from sky-high stilettos to low and chunky. Red and Yellow's shoes now have laces. Orange's shoes laces are no longer untied. And Blue's shoes, while little changed, resemble what Anton Vincent, president of Mars Wrigley North America, described as "a bad version of Uggs".

Big deal! 

Anyway, with a straight face, Vincent maintains that the revamped footwear is "a subtle cue, but it's a cue people really pick up on", noting that Mars get a lot of feedback on the characters' shoes! 

The logo adjustment is just a wee change: Instead of resting on its side, it's set up straight. The new orientation is designed to emphasize the ampersand. The logo was last tweaked in 2019. 

The changes are rolling out online this week and they'll be incorporated into M&Ms' packaging and other marketing materials this year. 

M&M's is using these changes to try to signal its brand identity to customers, who are increasingly drawn to brands they feel align with their own values. "It gives us a good platform to talk about the whole idea around belonging", Vincent added. 

If you ask me, I don’t care at all about this inclusiveness thingy. I just love snacking on M&Ms! 

In case you didn't know, M&M's is my favorite chocolate candy!