M&M’s have decided to take an indefinite pause from using its spokescandies after recent advertising has caused controversial debate in the USA. Actor and comedian Maya Rudolph has been named as the real-life replacement and M&M’s Chief of Fun.
The characters were created in the 1990s. Three males, Blue, Red, and Yellow were accompanied by Green, the token female that wore white stilettos. In 2012, the brand added Brown, another female that wore stilettos, to the lineup.
Early 2022 saw the characters have a wardrobe change that sparked the first controversial conversations – Green and Brown swapped their stilettos for boots and pumps, respectively. In September of 2022, the third female spokescandy was added. Purple was supposed to represent acceptance and inclusivity, but her addition was labelled as being too ‘woke’ and upset a number of high-profile news anchors.
In December of 2022, M&M’s introduced packaging that only featured the three female characters to support female empowerment organisations. One dollar from each limited edition pack would go to charity.
This combination of events created a social media spiral and has seen the spokescandies “explore new pursuits.”
