Confectionery company M&Ms has indefinitely paused its Spokescandies and replaced them with a new face – that of US comedian Maya Rudolph.
The move comes after a rebranding of the cartoon versions of the chocolate treat that appear in the advert sparked backlash.
The mascot changes aren’t meant to “destroy the internet,” M&M’s said Monday.
The rebranding was dubbed “Woke M&Ms” by Fox News’ Tucker Carlson.
The company said it will hire Rudolph, known for her tenure on the sketch comedy show Saturday Night Live, as a spokesperson.
M&M’s first updated its cartoon characters in January 2022 as part of a “global commitment to creating a world where everyone feels included and society is inclusive,” the candy’s parent company, Mars Inc., said at the time.
As part of the makeover, the two female M&M characters wore less stereotypically feminine clothing – green M&M swapped out her go-go boots for a pair of “cool, relaxed” sneakers, and brown M&M shortened the height of her heels.
Tucker Carlson Tonight is among the most prominent critics of the change. It was featured in several segments of the show, with the host criticizing the lack of eye candy in the M&Ms rebrand, saying the female cartoon characters look “less sexy” now.
“M&M’s won’t be satisfied until every cartoon character is deeply unattractive and utterly androgynous. Until the moment you don’t want to have a drink with any of them. That’s the goal,” Mr. Carlson said last year.
He doubled his conviction earlier this month after M&M’s launched limited-edition packaging containing only female candy figures, with proceeds from sales going to women-focused charities.
“The woke M&Ms are back,” Mr. Carlson said in a Jan. 10 post, targeting the green M&M and “an oversized, obese purple M&M.”
In its statement on Monday, M&Ms said it did not intend renaming its Spokescandies to be a divisive issue.
“Now we get it — even a candy’s shoes can polarize. It was the last thing M&Ms wanted as we are all about bringing people together,” the company said.
The company added that it’s confident that its new spokesperson, Rudolph, “will champion the power of fun to create a world where everyone feels included.”
It’s unclear why M&Ms decided to pause use of its Spokescandies a year after their overhaul, or how long the hiatus will last.
The move drew criticism on social media, with some people expressing disappointment that the company appears to have withdrawn its inclusive message.
Others have speculated that it’s part of a knockdown before a prime-time Super Bowl commercial. M&M’s parent company, Mars Inc, is reportedly planning a Super Bowl commercial.
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