M&Ms Sidelines Spokescandies; Replaces Them with Maya Rudolph

Jan. 24, 2023

Mars says it has put the spokescandies 'On Pause' and has replaced them with them with the comedic actress just in time for the SuperBowl.

Erin A. Hallstrom

M&Ms announced yesterday via its social media channels it was putting its spokescandies on 'indefinite pause' following backlash the candy mascots have received in the last year.

Following a rebrand in 2022, which saw changes in footwear for some of the colors, updating personality quirks, dropping the Mr., Ms. or Miss titles, and even introducing a seventh spokescandy in late 2022, the spokescandies have now been sidelined and replaced with comedienne and actress Maya Rudolf.

The spokescandies, some of which had been in place since 1995, came under fire last year following updates to their appearance. Mars Wrigley, parent company of M&Ms, marketed the changes as being part of a more inclusive brand.

The Wall Street Journal reports, the decision to focus more on inclusivity drew criticism online, which a Change.org petition to “keep the Green M&M sexy” generating more than 20,000 signatures.

About the Author

Erin A. Hallstrom

Erin Hallstrom oversaw our digital content strategy for the Food Processing brand from 2008-2023. She is now the Associate Director of SEO Strategy for Endeavor Business Media, where she holds technical certifications in both website analytics and search engine optimization. Most recently, she was named the 2022 Marianne Dekker Mattera Award Winner.