M&M's Just Announced A Big Change For Its Mascots

There are a number of reasons people might like M&M's. As a candy, they're pretty moreish, and as mascots they are skilled at getting people to crack a smile. And while those mascots may have endeared themselves to fans, M&M's parent company Mars appears to have decided it was time to refresh the look and feel of the team to keep them in step with the times. Global vp of M&M's Jane Hwang tells AdWeek that the company "took a deep look at our characters, both inside and out, and have evolved their looks, personalities and backstories to be more representative of the dynamic and progressive world we live in."

The reset won't necessarily mean radical shifts to the candy personalities many are familiar with. Red is meant to be less of a bully; Orange is meant to have "officially acknowledged his anxiety and learned to 'embrace his true self, worries and all,'" according to Today. The characters don't look like they have been revised much, the biggest physical changes to the candy characters are the ones made to Brown — whose glasses have been updated and her heels, swapped from sky-high stilettos to low and chunky; and to Green — who appears to have ditched her go-go boots for "cool, laid-back sneakers to reflect her effortless confidence." Green's change was particularly noticeable, since M&M's maker Mars was earlier criticized for objectifying the candy when the ads were first rolled out in 1997 (via The Wall Street Journal).