Insights

You know this ad. You’ve seen it thousands of times. A good-looking group of thirty-somethings are laughing on a glowing beach. A product is nonchalantly placed in sight –– usually a beverage or piece of equipment. But you don’t really care so much about the product. You want to be as happy as these characters.

Forrest Mars Sr. came up with the idea for M&M’s after observing soldiers eating chocolate during the 1930s Spanish Civil War. As you know, heat liquefies chocolate like butter in a frying pan, making your fingers sticky. So, the concept of wrapping chocolate in a hard candy shell was born. With it, came an immortal tagline: Melts in your mouth, not in your hands. M&M’s are practical. They’re colorful. The characters are fun. Did we need them to be anything more?