M&M’s is releasing limited-edition packs featuring its female spokescandies Purple, Brown, and Green.
The new packs are part of the candy brand’s Flipping the Status Quo campaign, which aims to recognize and celebrate women everywhere who are inspiring moments of everyday happiness all while flipping the status quo.
Available in milk chocolate, peanut butter, and peanut varieties, the female-focused packaging depicts M&M characters Purple, Brown, and Green, flipped upside down, with the message “Supporting Women Flipping the Status Quo” emblazoned underneath them.
Rolling out to grocery stores nationwide and will be available through the end of March, these M&M packs not only feature the female spokescandies on the outside but inside the bags as well. These special wrappers contain purple, brown, and green M&M’s only, marking the first time that purple candies have become part of a regular M&M retail pack since the Purple character was introduced in September 2022.
“The M&M’S brand is on a mission to use the power of fun to create purposeful connections, as we work to create a world where everyone feels they belong,” said Gabrielle Wesley, Chief Marketing Officer, Mars Wrigley North America, in a press release about the new packaging. “Women all over the world are flipping how they define success and happiness while challenging the status quo, so we’re thrilled to be able to recognize and celebrate them – and who better to help us on that mission than our own powerhouse spokescandies Green, Brown and Purple?”
M&M’s to make donations to organizations empowering women
To mark the release of the limited-edition packs, M&M’s is supporting organizations that are committed to uplifting and empowering women doing incredible work in their respective fields and daily lives. $1 from every pack sold (up to $500,000) will go towards supporting women via strategic partnerships with She Is the Music and We Are Moving the Needle. Additional donations (up to $300,000), outside of the limited-edition packs, will be made to Female Founder Collective, Geena Davis Institute On Gender In Media, and select women flipping the status quo, as part of the candy brand’s Flipping the Status Quo program.
M&M’s is also inviting fans to visit MMS.com from January 5th – 15th to nominate women in their lives who are flipping the status quo, for the chance to be featured on M&M’s platforms, and receive $10,000 grants to fund their flip further. On International Women’s Day, March 8th, 10 winners will be announced in partnership with the M&M’s FUNd Advisory Council.
To support more women flipping the status quo, M&M’s has partnered with six female creators from the pop culture field to collaborate with the brand’s female spokescandies for original content inspired by each of the characters. These female creators are:
- Aint Afraid: Hip-Hop artists/twin sisters, empowering people through their music.
- Ashlee Muhammad: Streetwear designer, promoting self-love to help change the world.
- Barbiana Liu: Creative director and designer, helping young female entrepreneurs find their creative freedom.
- Ledania: LGBTQ Colombian graffiti artist, bringing people together through her art.
- Liz Marek: Realistic cake sculptor, pushing boundaries in the culinary space.
Who is M&M’s Purple?
Longtime M&M fans know Brown and Green, but they might not be familiar with Purple. As previously mentioned, Purple was officially added to the brand’s roster of spokescandies in September 2022. M&M’s said at the time that Purple is designed to represent acceptance and inclusivity. Known for her earnest self-expression, Purple is described as charming and quirky in nature, thanks to her keen self-awareness, authenticity, and confidence. Aside from her color, Purple’s other unique physical characteristic is her pair of laced-up boots
“Mars is thrilled to debut the newest member of the M&M’S cast of characters to the world. There is so much about our new spokescandy that people can relate to and appreciate, including her willingness to embrace her true self. Our new character reminds us to celebrate what makes us unique,” said Jane Hwang, Global Vice President at Mars Wrigley, at the time. “Our purpose story is just getting started and the introduction of our newest M&M’S spokescandy is the next chapter, as the brand continues to delight fans with fun in a way only M&M’S can.”
Purple’s introduction eight months after the M&M spokescandies got a modern makeover. Unveiled in January 2021, the M&M characters now have arms and legs that match their shell colors, instead of the tan flesh tone they previously had. The two original female characters, Brown and Green, now have less stereotypically feminine looks. Brown’s heels have been lowered to sensible pumps, while Green now sports a pair of “cool, laid-back sneakers to reflect her effortless confidence.”
Both wearing subtler makeup without dramatic lashes, Brown and Green now have a friendly relationship, a far departure from their catty behavior towards one another in previous M&M’s ads. As the brand puts it, they are now “together throwing shine and not shade.”