M&M's Company Makes Changes to Its Candy Product Packaging and Sparks Cultural Controversy

New York, United States - The candy manufacturer M & M’S has issued a statement with its latest candy package, which features a lineup of entirely female characters - including Purple, which represents its latest addition, putting the company back in the midst of the cultural wars. Mars, the candy manufacturer, announced that the limited edition all-female package will only include the colors: purple, brown, and green, of the female characters, which are turned upside down on the package "to celebrate the women who are flipping the status quo everywhere," and the new candy packages are currently on sale.

Purple, which was announced last year, and is the first new character for M & M'S in a decade, is according to the brand, a singer who ditches the laced high heels, and has a quirky and confident personality. Gabrielle Wesley, Chief Marketing Officer for Mars Wrigley North America, said in a press release: "The M&M brand is on a mission to use the power of fun to create meaningful connections, as we work to create a world where everyone feels they belong."

The packages come in three options: milk chocolate, peanut butter, and peanut. Mars stated that a portion of the profits will go to organizations that "uplift and empower women," including "She Is The Music and We Are Moving the Needle," a nonprofit organization that supports women in the music industry.

The all-female lineup quickly ignited "cultural wars" on right-wing news networks and social media, with one Fox host stating that the feminist package encourages China. Host Martha MacCallum explained on Monday: "If this is what you need to validate yourself, which is the color you think is associated with feminism, I’m concerned for you," adding: "I think this makes China say: (Okay, keep focusing on that, keep focusing on giving people their own color with M & M’S, while we take care of gathering the mineral precautions around the world).

Changes to M & M’S Products: In addition to adding Purple to the lineup, M & M’S has made other changes to the 82-year-old brand in recent months, including modifying its logo and introducing new shoes for its six products, in an effort to modernize the candy. The Green candy has replaced its shoes with new sneakers, while the Brown candy wears more sensible low heels, and the Red and Yellow candies now have laces, while the Orange candy's shoelaces are no longer tied, and the Blue candy has only undergone a minor change.

However, there was a significant backlash against the new Green shoes last year. An opinion piece in the Washington Post stated that "merger and acquisition changes are not progressive, bring back Green's shoes."

In a provocative article, Rolling Stone described the change as "nothing more than a structural change," and thousands signed a petition to "keep Green M&M sexy." The changes that have occurred in the beloved characters can elicit a strong response on social media.

For example, when Lola Bunny got a new look for the new Space Jam movie, fans were similarly outraged. Jen Huang, the global vice president of M & M’S, told Horizon News earlier that the reaction to the change in Green candy was "unprecedented."

She added, "We now know for sure that M & M’S has become a cultural icon." M & M’S has no plans to restore the appearance of the Green candy.

Huang added: "Characters are constantly evolving to reflect the times we live in," and she explained that the brand hopes that "consumers will recognize our characters much more than just their shoes."