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Pretzel M&M Rolls Out To Raves

Category: New Food Products

Product Type: Candy & Confectionary

Manufacturer: Mars Food US

There's always innovation in the candy category, but Mars Chocolate North America, Hackettstown, N.J., has really gone outside the traditional M&M with the launch of M&M's Pretzel Chocolate Candies. With a salted pretzel in the middle and a covering of milk chocolate, this colorful M&M combines both sweet and salty tastes in every piece. And they also contain 30 percent less fat – on average – than other leading chocolate snacks, providing a sensible bite-sized treat.

This exciting new flavor from the candy brand capitalizes on snacking occasions by combining M&M's brand equity of "fun to eat" and "good for nibbling" with the snack food qualities of salty and crunchy.

A multi-faceted marketing campaign supports the introduction, including advertisements in TV, print, online and movie theaters, in-store POP, sponsorships, a digital campaign, consumer promotion activities and an extensive public relations plan. To celebrate the release of new M&M's Pretzel Chocolate Candies, this season's American Idol finalists performed their first public live concert from the inside of a giant M&M's stage in New York City.

One of the biggest product launches for the brand in decades, Mars representative Ryan Bowling told Brandweek the idea came from years of consumer focus groups and the fact that sweet and salty is very popular among fans of Mars' products. Orange M&M "spokescandy" stars in the ads, and hilariously freaks out when he discovers he has a pretzel inside of him.

Suggested retail price for a 1.14-oz bag is 79 cents. Other packages range from $3.49 for a 9.9-oz bag to $8.99 for a 30-oz. stand-up pouch.

Company Information

Website: mms.com