Mars rebrands its female M&M's chocolate characters, ditching high-heels for sneakers to make them more representative of customers
- The M&M's chocolate characters have a new look.
- Most notably, one female character is wearing sneakers rather than high-heels in its ads.
M&M's chocolate characters are getting a rebrand.
Mars Wrigley, makers of the popular candy, has made subtle changes to the look of the characters that appear in its ads. Most notably, replacing high heels for sneakers on one of its female characters, and putting the other in a lower pair of heels.
In a statement reported by CNN, Anton Vincent, president of Mars Wrigley North America, said its new look is designed to make the female characters more "representative of the consumer." It's "a subtle cue," he said, "but it's a cue people really pick up on."
Insider reached out to Mars Wrigley for further comment but did not immediately hear back.
The male characters also have minor footwear changes, including new laces. These changes have already been rolled out online; M&M's packaging will be updated later this year, CNN wrote.
Vincent also addressed the gender imbalance in the chocolate character lineup in a statement to CNN. There are two female characters and four male ones.
Adding two new female characters is more problematic because it would mean adding two permanent colors to its mix. Instead, the company said it will give its female characters a more prominent place in the ads to give "a little bit more gender balance," Vincent said, per CNN.
The changes to the footwear of the female characters reflect broader societal shifts. Sales of high heels were declining at a rapid rate, even before the pandemic, as women increasingly favor more comfortable styles such as sneakers.
Some have speculated an earlier decline in sales of high heels was linked to the #MeToo era and reports of sexual harassment, as women choose to dress for themselves rather than being sexually appealing to men.
Still, the shift toward more casual dressing and the work from home culture has only exacerbated this trend. In the second quarter of 2020, sales of high heels dropped by 71%, according to research firm NPD Group.