M&M’s has announced a collection of “all-female” candies in celebration of International Women’s Day on March 8. To shine a light on strong women, the brand’s parent company, Mars, is highlighting its female characters — the Green, Brown, and Purple M&M’s — by releasing bags containing only those colors. What a boon for women! Understandably, people are more than a little confused by the move.
The limited-edition packs of M&M’s will feature the all-female cast of characters “flipped,” which Mars believes shows its commitment to “supporting women flipping the status quo.”
While an odd choice, particularly given the fact that candy can’t have gender, Mars Wrigley North America’s chief marketing officer Gabrielle Wesley stands behind the campaign.
“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?” she said in a statement.
We just want abortion rights. https://t.co/doYp0CAH2z
— Moira Donegan (@MoiraDonegan) January 7, 2023
However, this isn’t the first time the brand has decided to wade into the woke world. In late 2022, M&M’s launched its first new character in more than 10 years. A female peanut M&M called Purple broke on the scene and made quite the impression (read: none at all).
Announcing its new (albeit temporary) all-female lineup on Twitter, M&M’s got a less than stellar response. One person questioned, “What does this even mean???” while another added, “I have literally never felt less celebrated as a woman.” A third wrote, “We just want abortion rights.”
Mars will donate $1 from every pack of all-female M&M packs sold up to a total of $500,000 to charity. The money will support women via the company’s work with She Is The Music and We Are Moving The Needle.
You can also nominate a woman in your life who is “flipping the status quo” to potentially receive a $10,000 grant to continue their life-changing work. They’ll pick 10 winners, all of whom will be announced on International Women’s Day.
