What’s more harmless and fun than M&M’s mascots?
Transversal to the sympathies of many generations, the cute colorful characters belonging to the stable of Mars Inc. brands have been crowding our sweetest imagination since 1941.
But what if a kind of “Ghostbuster effect” takes over the thought? Remember when the “god Gozer” uttered the phrase “Choose the form of the destroyerand Ray thinks the most innocent thing from his childhood, i.e. the little man from the marshmallow commercials? Stay Puff materializes in the form of a 40-foot monster that devastates New York City.
The M&M’s mascots have not destroyed any skyscrapers nor have they suddenly come to life, except in some famous commercials, such as the one starring Danny DeVito projected during the Super Bowl 2018however they have recently been at the center of an annoying media controversy.
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Only 5 years have passed since that famous commercial which also featured Ms.Brown, the sexiest brown “chocolate” of the team mascot, always impeccable with her stiletto heels.
The new American “woke” course it provides continuous narrative adaptations in line with the moods of the society to which marketing managers and executives of multinationals are more sensitive.
This time the “spokescandies”, or rather the M&M’s mascots, fell into the “politically correct” turning point: Ms. Brown’s heels went down and Ms. Green’s 60s boots became sneakers. In a very serious press release, Mars Inc. announced this change justifying it as the brand’s contribution to give a more “inclusive, welcoming and unifying” message.
However, this time, to highlight the issue – only apparently frivolous – it was nothing less than Tucker Carlsonhugely popular Fox News anchor man, which caused a real shit storm around the choice of Mars Inc.
The multinational was forced to withdraw the initiative, but the new “communiqué” from the top management, entrusted to a tweet, has sparked even more controversy:
Tucker: M&M’s will not be satisfied until every last cartoon character is deeply unappealing and totally androgynous. Until the moment you wouldn’t want to have a drink with any one of them. That’s the goal. When you’re totally turned off, we’ve achieved equity… pic.twitter.com/rz7VtVCHWu
— Acyn (@Acyn) January 22, 2022
A message from M&M’S. pic.twitter.com/EMucEBTd9o
— M&M’S (@mmschocolate) January 23, 2023
Including is different from polarizing: the trap brands fall into
Once once more, a brand that acts with the idea of ”unifying” opinions actually ends up polarizing them: the – sacrosanct – purpose of creating a more inclusive and welcoming message then collides with reality.
In fact, for some brands the concept of “inclusion” is experienced as a partisan inclusion: to include yes, but only those who think in a certain way. Corporate choices of this type effectively exclude all consumers who have a different vision of society.
The mission of inclusion thus ends up having polarizing consequences.
This time it was the turn of a traditional media such as Fox News to highlight the paradox behind this type of narration, which is increasingly less convenient even on a commercial level, as we recently analysed.
The global trend seems to increasingly reward companies that do not make polarizing choices like that of M&Ms but that propose greater dialogue with all current and potential consumers, regardless of their political ideas and their values. Has Mars Inc. learned its lesson?
Maybe not, given that the actress will arrive instead of the “spokescandies”. Maya Rudolphfriend of the vice president Kamala Harris and supporter of Joe Biden in the last election. A choice that many have seen as a real “trolling” of the company towards consumers.
Replacing the all-female M&M spokescandies with Maya Rudolph is some next-level trolling. ????
— Mollie Katzen (@MollieKatzen) January 23, 2023
A message from M&M’S. pic.twitter.com/EMucEBTd9o
— M&M’S (@mmschocolate) January 23, 2023
We live in the stupidest timeline.
— Daniel Summers, MD (@WFKARS) January 23, 2023
can you guys see this too or did i accidently drop acid
— Max Kennerly (@MaxKennerly) January 23, 2023
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