M&M’s spokescandies return in Super Bowl ads after Maya Rudolph campaign

It’s official: The M&M’s spokescandies are back.

Following a campaign that saw Maya Rudolph replace the cartoon spokespeople (and even rename the candy to MA&YA’S), Mars, Inc. has confirmed that it was all for a Super Bowl ad that culminated with the return of their beloved spokescandies.

In the weeks leading up to Super Bowl LVII, Mars announced that the M&M’S spokescandies were being put on an “indefinite pause,” with Rudolph acting as the new spokesperson. They soon revealed that it was just until the Big Game, and advertisements airing during the game would show Rudolph’s face on the candies and another where she made them clam-flavored.

The brand officially announced that the spokescandies are back for good during the the second half of the game and after the game, with the final ad showing by them on stage giving what’s meant to look like a post-game press conference.

While the ad campaign began just weeks before the game, it actually all goes back to January 2022, when the characters received subtle makeovers, like different shapes and sizes and different shoes. The changes were meant to let audiences focus on their personalities, like Red being kinder and Orange being anxious, as a way of promoting inclusivity.

However, some of the alterations — like Green’s shoes changing from white go-go boots to sneakers — sparked controversy on social media and from Fox News commentator Tucker Carlson. One year later, M&M’s took to social media to announce that it would be making changes again — by completely getting rid of the spokescandies.

Now, along with reassuring us that the spokescandies are back, M&M’s also announced that they’ve contributed millions of dollars to “efforts and causes that are using the power of fun to bring us all closer together, laying the groundwork for lasting change.”

“At M&M’S, we believe in the power of fun to bring people together. Over the past year, the conversation around our iconic spokescandies reached new heights but at times got a bit ‘lively,'” M&M’s writes on their website. “We wanted to positively redirect the passion of that conversation to bring the fun back into it, and help people laugh and move on together with our latest Super Bowl campaign. Now, we can get on with what we are here to do: create a world where everyone feels they belong. And while our mission to further belonging around the world is just beginning, we’re already hard at work to create the world we want tomorrow.”

Welcome back, Spokescandies!