Among the sweets on store shelves there are many delicious products. You have to admit, however, that there are sweets that attract more attention. The most conspicuous ones are definitely M&M's! These colorful candies have been available on the market for many years. It can be safely said that this is one of those items that remain a kind of permanent element of the confectionery industry.
Although we have already got used to them and have enjoyed their taste many times, what do we actually know about them? Namely, what exactly can be said about their history? We will briefly walk through this fascinating, successful tale of the iconic M&M's.
The beginnings - or how the "colorful empire" was built
Exactly! What were the origins of M&M's? This is a fundamental question worth asking first. It turns out that the history of colored candies is 80 years old. Amazing, isn't it? Think of it this way - before you were even born, people were already eating these delicacies. Perhaps it happened before your parents were born. Let's outline some more details!
The 40's
M&M Limited was founded in the 1940s by Forrest E. Mars Senior - the son of the founder of another well-known Mars Limited company (with time M&M Limited was incorporated into Mars Limited). Exactly in 1941, the candies hit the market. And although these were difficult years, due to the greatest war in human history, the infamous events did not prevent the colorful confectionery revolution.
1950s
Initially, the M&M's were packaged differently. First, you could buy them in oblong tubular tubes, with a stylish retro look. Brown, in a way chocolate bags, still used today, appeared only in 1948. Later, in the 1950s, candies began to be stamped with the letter "M", and in 1954, the color was changed from black to white, as it is today.
Systematic Development - the key to success
The 60's brought further changes. M&M's Fruit Chewies, later known as Starburst, appeared on the market. This new production introduced a slightly fruity refreshment among the chocolate delicacies. Then, in the 1980s, there was a real global expansion of M&M's. The candy brand itself could boast numerous popular and cultural successes. For example, it was the colorful candy of the Mars company (then officially responsible for the production of M&M) that could be found in the food rations of the first astronauts in space shuttles.
Then, in 1984, another series of M&M's, Plain and Peanut Chocolate Candies, became the Official Snack of the Olympic Games. In the eighth decade of the twentieth century, Mars sweets, spelled with a double "M", have already found their way to the most distant places in the world. They also appeared in Europe at that time.
In this way, through their numerous successes, M&M's have gained the title of the Official Sweets of the New Millennium (Doubled M is the Roman number 2000). The brand continues to grow and has made many innovations in recent years. These are among others:
- designing personalized inscriptions and photos on candies by customers,
- a characteristic advertising campaign known for two candy characters - a red cynic and a yellow marsh,
- voting for your favorite color taking place around the world.
We hope that M & M's will continue to enrich their history and delight us forever with their sweet, chocolate flavor.