Information reaching Kossyderrickent has it that Fox news anchor, Tucker Carlson, said 'Candy in sexy shoes is highly offensive.'
Peanut_female_characters.jpg
The female M&M’s flipped upside-down represent how women "are flipping how they define success," M&M said.
This move is the latest in a series of marketing moves M&M’s has made to promote inclusivity. Its previous announcement involved the introduction of the purple female M&M who represents body positivity and self-acceptance.
Early in 2022, Mars announced it would alter its mascots to "reflect the more dynamic, progressive world that we live in," saying the "refreshed M&M’S brand will include a more modern take on the looks of our beloved characters."
In 2017, the company also announced it would be "spending a billion dollars through the next few years to reduce their carbon footprint."
Why shake things up? Well, if you believe the press release put out by Mars, it’s to to create “a more modern take on the looks of our beloved characters, as well as more nuanced personalities to underscore the importance of self-expression and power of community through storytelling.”Why shake things up? Well, if you believe the press release put out by Mars, it’s to to create “a more modern take on the looks of our beloved characters, as well as more nuanced personalities to underscore the importance of self-expression and power of community through storytelling.”
But that’s absolutely not it, and it’s honestly a bit frustrating to see the types of tantrums being thrown by the likes of Tucker Carlson1 and others in right-wing media as they eat up and regurgitate that explanation without question as a means to further their culture war goals. Mars came out with a new ad campaign for the same reason all brands introduce new ad campaigns: to make more money and increase sales. That’s it.
Having worked in the ad industry back in the early 2010s, I’ll let you in on a little secret: brands decide they want to shake things up, go to their agencies, and part of the agencies’ jobs is to reverse-engineer a story to go with whatever the change is. That’s the truth. It’s a safe bet that nobody at Mars was hemming and hawing over whether or not the characters were “modern” or “progressive” enough, and you’d honestly have to be a fool (or, as is the case with a lot of the right-wing outrage about this, to believe that your audience is made up of fools) to think that’s the case.
No, M&Ms didn’t “go woke,” a word that lacks any sort of coherent definition these days, as it is. The changes to the characters seem to be that… Blue and Green no longer have flesh-tone arms and legs (now their arms and legs are both white), and Green swapped out the go-go boots2 that it often wore with a pair of shoes resembling Adidas Stan Smiths3.
Here’s a portion of the Mars press release:
The refreshed M&M’S brand will include a more modern take on the looks of our beloved characters, as well as more nuanced personalities to underscore the importance of self-expression and power of community through storytelling. Fans will also notice an added emphasis on the ampersand to more prominently demonstrate how the brand aims to bring people together. M&M’S branding will also reflect an updated tone of voice that is more inclusive, welcoming, and unifying, while remaining rooted in our signature jester wit and humor.
The new M&M’S global commitment is just one of many actions being taken across Mars to deliver on a world where society is inclusive. Our Full Potential Platform works to advance gender equality in our workplaces, in the marketplace, and in communities where we source raw materials. Within Mars, we’re committed to fostering an environment where our more than 130,000 Associates feel valued and respected, regardless of any visible or invisible differences. And with this commitment, M&M’s joins many other Mars brands working toward the world we want tomorrow like SHEBA Hope Coral Reef Restoration and MARS bar carbon neutral announcement in UK, Ireland, and Canada.
“More inclusive,” “welcoming,” “unifying,” “gender equality,” “fostering an environment where our … Associates feel valued and respected, regardless of any visible or invisible differences.”
Now, you might see that and go, “WOKE! WOKE! WOKE!” But before you do that, read this:
We live in a diverse world, with different ideas and different perspectives that come together to spark new ideas and make great things happen. That means reflecting the diversity of the world around us is critical to our company’s success, and we’re deeply committed to diversity and inclusion, including attracting, retaining and promoting diverse talent across our company.
The exchange of different ideas and viewpoints drives innovation and inspires powerful storytelling that resonates with audiences everywhere. Through targeted initiatives on screen and off, we ensure that our broad base of viewers, communities and employees feel heard, represented and celebrated.
No comments:
Post a Comment