00:00M&M's stopped selling candy and started selling jokes. Now it's a global bestseller again.
00:041941. Forest Mars creates M&M's. Chocolate that doesn't melt. For soldiers. World War II. It's
00:11practical. Functional. Not fun. After the war, M&M's goes commercial. But there's a problem.
00:17It's just candy. Chocolate in a shell. Nothing special. Hershey's dominates. Reese's dominates.
00:22M&M's? Forgotten. By 1990s, sales are stagnant. The brand is bland. No personality. No
00:29story. Just candy. Mars executives panic. We need something. Anything. M&M's is dying. Then
00:351995. BBDO advertising pitches an idea. What if the candies talked? Had personalities? Mars
00:42is skeptical. Talking candy? That's stupid. But they're desperate. They greenlight it. Red
00:47M&M's sarcastic. Confident. Lovable. The commercials launch. Immediately viral. People love them.
00:54The candies aren't products. They're characters. Friends. Personalities. Red and yellow become
00:59iconic. Then they add more. Green. Sexy. Confident. Blue. Cool. Smooth. Each one? A fully
01:05developed character. The ads become sitcoms. Mini movies. Stories. Not sales pitches. Social
01:11media explodes. Memes. Fan art. Debates. Which M&M are you? The candy becomes culture. 2000s.
01:19M&M's launches customization. Print your face. On the candies. Weddings. Birthdays. Corporate
01:25events. The product becomes personal. Then collaborations. Super Bowl ads. Celebrity
01:30partnerships. Movies. Video games. M&M's isn't candy anymore. It's entertainment. Today,
01:36M&M's is the number one candy brand in America. $13 billion in annual sales. Everything. All
01:43because they stopped selling candy and started selling characters. Products are forgettable.
01:48Personalities are forever. Give your brand a voice. Make people care about who you are. Not
01:52just what you sell. Follow for more innovations history.
