M&M’s beloved characters have gotten a makeover! On Thursday (Jan. 20), Mars Inc. — the parent company for the multi-colored chocolates — unveiled the spokescandies’ new look, which is intended to reflect their “personalities, rather than their gender.”
The “inclusive” redesign sees differences in the way the M&Ms will act toward each other. The red candy, who was previously a bully, will be nicer to the crew, while the orange one will “acknowledge his anxiety.” The brown and green M&Ms, who had minor tensions in the past, will now have a friendly relationship in which they throw “shine and not shade.”
As for the visual changes, the orange M&M’s shoelaces are now tied given his anxious nature, and both women are seen without their dramatic lashes. The brown candy ditched her high heels for some lower, more professional pumps, and in perhaps the most-discussed change, the green M&M’s high-heeled boots have been replaced with some sneakers.
After Mars Inc.’s announcement, Twitter users took to the social media platform to the characters’ makeovers.
“They downgraded my sister from a pump to this brown v board of education kitten heel,” wrote one person. “Maybe progressivism was a mistake.”
“Green M&M was the baddest out the bunch & y’all got her in McDonald’s work shoes.… BRING BACK HER CHANEL 9 BOOTS,” tweeted another user.
The M&M characters’ progressive look is part of its “global commitment to creating a world where everyone feels they belong and society is inclusive,” per Mars Inc.
“From new product innovations to brand campaigns, our evolved characters and our experiential retail stores, we’ll incorporate colorful visuals, inclusive messaging and our purpose into all we do to prove that all together, we’re more fun,” Jane Hwang, global marketing vice president for Mars Wrigley, said in a statement.
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