M&M Candy History
M&M candy history has its roots in the Spanish Civil War when Forrest Mars, Sr., the founder of the Mars Company, observed soldiers nibbling on a delightful chocolate treat encased in a hard shell designed to prevent the chocolate from melting. In 1941, Mars patented his version of that candy and began production. At that time, World War II had begun, and the candies became a practical treat once again for soldiers. In fact, during the war years, only the military could buy M&M candy. Originally sold in hard cardboard tubes, the history of M&Ms progressed when black cellophane packaging was introduced in 1948 and the “m” imprinted on the candies in the 1950s.
Throughout the long history of M&Ms, candy makers tried to replicate the success of these bite-sized treats with limited success. Competing brands such as Smarties, Pebbles, and Reese’s Pieces were introduced by other candy makers. The movie ET gave Reese’s Pieces a major boost with its prominent product placement and role as ET’s favorite snack. Mars candy executives turned down an offer to feature M M candy in the movie based on their unfounded fears that children would find the ET character frightening. While it’s unclear whether M&M Mars later regretted that decision, the brand continues to break new ground even goings as far as outer space on NASA space shuttle missions. And now, personalized M&Ms and customizable characters are the most recent entries into the sweet story of M&M candy history.
