Buzz
We all know the catchy slogan, 'melts in your mouth, not in your hand,' referring to M&M'S. But there's so much more to discover about these iconic candies.
M&M'S have more to their legacy than just their tagline. From their appearances in films, ties to the White House, to their wartime significance during World War II, the story of these chocolate morsels is as sweet as their taste. Let's dive into their fascinating history.
10. E.T. Calls Home
During the initial stages of creating E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, Steven Spielberg reached out to Mars, the company behind M&M'S, to ask for permission to feature their candy in the movie. However, Mars declined his request, leading Spielberg to opt for Reese’s Pieces instead.
After the film’s release, Reese’s Pieces saw an impressive spike in sales, tripling within just two weeks. Mars defended its decision by claiming they thought “E.T. was ugly and would frighten children.”
It’s hard to imagine that Mars missed the opportunity to secure a lasting place in 1980s pop culture. Spielberg, already a major director known for hits like Raiders of the Lost Ark, Close Encounters of the Third Kind, and Jaws, was a huge name. How could Mars have doubted him?
9. The Blue M&M’S
In 1995, the blue M&M’S were introduced as a replacement for the tan ones. The decision was put to a public vote, and 54 percent of voters selected blue as the new color. The other options in the vote were purple and pink. More than 10 million people cast their ballots during the two-month voting period.
To mark the selection of blue, the Empire State Building was illuminated in blue lights. This iconic New York landmark is frequently lit in different colors to honor special occasions. For example, it turns red on Valentine’s Day and yellow and white for Easter.
M&M’S have long been linked with American patriotism, so it seems fitting that the candy was celebrated at a renowned landmark in one of the nation’s most famous cities.
8. Van Halen
During their 1982 tour, Van Halen made a peculiar request for a bowl of M&M’S in their dressing room, but with one condition: “absolutely no brown ones.” While this may sound like the antics of high-maintenance rock stars, it was actually a clever way to test if the venues were paying attention to their demands and carefully reading their contracts.
Given the extensive list of safety requirements for their concerts, David Lee Roth wanted to be sure that every detail was followed. He included the “no brown [M&M’S]” stipulation in the contract as a quick way to check if the venues were cutting corners.
It is often believed that if the request had been ignored, Van Halen could have legally canceled the concert at any time, even at the very last minute. Imagine the frustration of traveling to the venue, securing accommodations, finding a good spot, only to be told the concert was over because a single brown M&M’S was found in the snack bowl.
7. The Creators
While M&M’S are one of the most beloved chocolate treats, not many people know that the name M&M stands for “Mars and Murrie.” The candies were named after Forrest Mars Sr., the son of Mars Company’s founder, and Bruce Murrie, the son of Hershey executive William Murrie, who held a 20 percent stake in the product.
It’s fascinating to think about how the sons of two influential figures in the U.S. chocolate industry joined forces to leave their mark on the business. The collaboration began after Forrest Mars had a fallout with his father, eventually leading him to leave both his father and the company.
During the Spanish Civil War, Forrest was struck by the sight of soldiers eating chocolate in the heat of summer. Without proper air conditioning, chocolate often melted quickly in warm weather, which caused a significant drop in sales.
Seeing this problem, Forrest Mars saw an opportunity in the market. Inspired by the soldiers eating candy, he developed the idea of coating chocolate pieces with a hard sugar shell, which kept the chocolate from melting. Upon returning to the United States, he partnered with Bruce Murrie to bring this innovation to the market.
6. Seinfeld
E.T. wasn’t the only time Mars passed up a chance for M&M’S to appear in entertainment. In a Season 4 episode of Seinfeld, Jerry and Kramer are watching a heart surgery when Kramer, eating a pack of Junior Mints, accidentally drops one into the patient’s open chest. They remain silent as the surgery ends, and the patient is closed up with the mint still inside.
This scene brought a lot of attention to Junior Mints. In fact, the episode ends with what amounts to a commercial. When Kramer offers the doctor a Junior Mint, the doctor says they’re “very refreshing.” By declining the opportunity for their product to be featured in this Seinfeld episode, Mars made another decision that showed their hesitation to trust others with the M&M’S brand.
“What are you eating?” Jerry Seinfeld asks in the episode. To which Kramer responds, “Junior Mints. You want one?”
That could have been M&M’S! Interestingly, during the credits, there’s a stand-up bit with Jerry where he jokes about how the colors of M&M’S seem completely different when you’re younger. In the end, it looks like Seinfeld had the last laugh.
5. World War II
When Forrest Mars Sr. and Bruce Murrie came up with M&M'S, they initially marketed it exclusively to the U.S. military. The candy proved to be an ideal snack in challenging conditions because it was resistant to melting and easy to transport.
There were likely two primary reasons behind the decision to focus solely on supplying the U.S. military. First, there was a sense of patriotism since the U.S. had just entered the war. Additionally, the wartime shortage of food staples like sugar and chocolate prompted Mars and Murrie to collaborate with the military, ensuring production could continue.
When the war ended, returning soldiers brought their fondness for the candy with them. As a result, M&M'S became available to the general public and rapidly rose to become one of America's favorite chocolate treats. To this day, the company continues its support of the troops, contributing $750,000 in 2016 alone to mark the 75th anniversary of Mars and Murrie's creation.
4. The White House
M&M'S hold the distinction of being the official candy of U.S. presidents. Before President Ronald Reagan, presidential giveaways typically consisted of matchbooks and cigarettes, which were commonly distributed on Air Force One or to guests at the White House.
Thanks to Reagan’s love for sweets, the presidential gift boxes soon began featuring M&M'S, replacing cigarettes. This sweet tradition has continued ever since, with the current president's signature proudly displayed beneath the presidential seal on the box.
3. The Scream
When Edvard Munch's The Scream was stolen from the Munch Museum in 2004, Mars took action by offering a reward for its return. However, this wasn't a monetary reward. Instead, in 2006, they offered two million M&M'S as the prize for the painting's safe return.
Mars had just launched a marketing campaign for their dark chocolate M&M'S, and it was these that were offered in exchange for the painting. The plan worked, but the chocolate wasn't given to the criminal who disclosed the artwork's location.
Rather than handing over the M&M'S, the equivalent cash value of two million M&M'S (approximately $26,000) was donated to the Munch Museum. A representative from Mars clarified, “We’d never reward a convicted criminal.”
2. Honey, Honey
After consuming pollen from a plant that had processed the remnants of a discarded bag of M&M'S, a colony of honeybees began to produce honey that mirrored the colors of the candies. Jars of blue and green honey were collected from hives in northeastern France.
Sadly, the honey couldn't be sold due to industry regulations. Nonetheless, it serves as a fascinating art piece!
This wasn't the first instance of bees creating honey in unusual colors. Back in 2010, a group of bees in Brooklyn fed on the supplies at Dell's Maraschino Cherries Company, resulting in honey that turned a vivid shade of red.
The president of the New York City Beekeepers Association explained why honeybees are often attracted to artificial flavorings: “Bees will forage from any sweet liquid within their flight range, up to [5 kilometers (3 miles)].”
1. Yellow M&M’S
You’ve probably seen those commercials where the oversized red and yellow M&M'S candies joke around for half a minute. One of the voices might sound familiar because the yellow M&M'S candy is voiced by J.K. Simmons. Simmons made a name for himself in Hollywood with iconic roles like J. Jonah Jameson in Sam Raimi's Spider-Man trilogy and, more recently, Whiplash, where he earned an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor.
Simmons has voiced the yellow M&M'S candy for over 20 years, starting in 1996. Before him, the voice of the yellow candy was provided by Golden Globe winner John Goodman.
So what is it about the yellow M&M'S candy that draws such star power? Of course, yellow isn't the only M&M'S candy voiced by a well-known actor. The red M&M'S candy is voiced by Billy West, the voice behind Fry from Futurama.
