M&M candies spark outrage, replaced by comedian

Polarizing M&Ms 'controversy’ strikes social media after recent announcement that Maya Rudolph will be replacing the famous candy cartoons. Unsplash

Growing up, seeing funny commercials on television is what makes the breaks between your favorite show tolerable. One company that could always be counted on to produce the most giggle-inducing commercials is M&M’s. Whether it’s the group of cartoon candies telling a movie theater audience to silence their cell phones or cute seasonal specials featuring Santa, the advertisements are bound to put a smile on the viewer's face.

But in 2022, controversy struck surrounding the cartoon M&M's candy, also referred to as the "spokescandies." The brand, owned by Mars, made the decision to replace one of the green M&M's heels with sneakers. Naturally, this sparked outrage. Recently, M&M's announced there would be a new limited edition pack which will only sport the women cartoon M&M’s in support of International Women's Day, and a portion of the profits will go to organizations that “empower women.” 

But the latest fuss around the brand comes from their announcement on Jan. 23 that the company is retiring the classic cartoons and replacing them with comedian Maya Rudolph. This decision came with the intention of bringing people together rather than creating any more divide. 

Due to the never-ending buzz around what M&M’s latest fashion choices are, people are beginning to believe it could all just be a big publicity stunt. 

Jackson Gefen, a junior strategic and corporate communication major, shared his thoughts on the matter. 

“I think that initially, they were just trying to change their branding to be more fitting in the progressive time that we live in,” Gefen said. “But I think because of the backlash they got from that, they kind of utilized that as an ability for it to be a PR stunt, especially with the Super Bowl coming up. I think it started organically and naturally kind of turned into a PR stunt.”

Late night talk shows have poked fun at the M&M’s scandal as well as countless social media platforms. The news of M&M’s replacing their spokescandies has been circling around social media as people attempt to figure out the reason behind the big change.

“I remember it was trending on Twitter, and my roommates and I were talking about it at the time,” Gefen said. “We all thought it was kind of ridiculous, just the uproar about it.”

Although some might say all press is good press, there is a possibility of this kind of attention negatively affecting the brand. But Gefen disagrees. He told The Panther that if anything, this will give the brand the attention it needs. 

“It's not like people are boycotting M&M's, and even if people are, it's not enough people to make a difference,” Gefen said. “But in this case, I think it's more comedic and funny than anything which makes it positive (attention).”

Senior film production major Grace Larey applauds M&M for their use of social media in order to gain attention toward their brand and encourages other companies  to follow suit. 

“I think it's really smart when the companies utilize apps like TikTok and Twitter, especially if they're trying to reach a younger audience and get people our age talking about it,” Larey said. “I feel like that's definitely the way to do so. All my friends and I have been talking about it and kind of poking fun at it. We all just think it's hilarious.”

Kaitlin Pinell, freshman English literature major, like many other M&M’s consumers, said she would be sad to see the iconic spokescandies leave the commercials permanently, as they carry a certain nostalgia that can’t be replaced by someone like Maya Rudolph. 

“I’ve grown so familiar with the super funny commercials that they've been in, or ads in general, like it's their whole brand,” Pinell said. “So it's really weird to me, for them to change it.”

M&Ms recently responded in a statement saying, “Rest assured, the characters are our official long-term spokescandies," clearing up the air about if we will see them again. It’s rumored they will be back in time for a big Super Bowl commercial on Feb. 12. 

Although it is entertaining to speculate about the reasons behind the countless M&M’s uproars, Gefen said the company is evolving into a better version of itself. 

“I think in reality, over time brands evolve and change and this was just an instance of it,” Gefen said. “I don't understand why people are upset about a mascot.”