Meet Purple M&M, the Candy Brand's First New Character in a Decade

Mike Pomranz
·2 min read
New cast of M&M characters
New cast of M&M characters

Courtesy of M&Ms

When you grab a regular bag of M&M's, the colors will remain the same: red, orange, green, blue, yellow, and brown. But for the brand's advertising campaigns, there's a new color on the block: Purple.

Billed as the first expansion of M&M's "iconic crew" in a decade, Purple has been added today as the brand's latest "spokescandy." A permanent addition, she's the third female member of the M&M's team alongside Green and Brown, but is the first female peanut M&M (if you've been keeping track of such things). That said, while capital-P Purple will be appearing in ads, lowercase-p purple candies won't be coming to peanut M&M's packs.

As for her personality, M&M's parent company Mars writes, "Designed to represent acceptance and inclusivity, our newest member is known for her earnest self-expression. Keen self-awareness, authenticity and confidence are the driving forces behind Purple's charm and quirky nature."

"There is so much about our new spokescandy that people can relate to and appreciate, including her willingness to embrace her true self. Our new character reminds us to celebrate what makes us unique," Jane Hwang, global vice president at Mars Wrigley, stated. "Our purpose story is just getting started and the introduction of our newest M&M'S spokescandy is the next chapter, as the brand continues to delight fans with fun in a way only M&M'S can."

Purple's big debut is a 104-second YouTube video for her new song, "I'm Just Gonna Be Me" — an overtly self-aware introduction to the character voiced by comedian and talk show host Amber Ruffin, which also features contributions from saxophonist Grace Kelly, dancers Devin Santiago and Colo Cag, and opera singer Anthony Roth Costanzo.

Mars apparently has high hopes for the tune: The brand is adding it to all major music platforms and, for every stream, a one dollar donation (up to $500,000) will be made to Sing for Hope, described as "a non-profit that harnesses the power of the arts to bring hope, connection and purpose to millions of people around the world through music."