M&M’s have been a beloved candy for generations, known for their colorful shells and delicious chocolate filling. However, in recent times, the origin of M&M’s has gone viral on social media, revealing some interesting history behind the famous candy.
According to Claire Dinhut, an American TikToker living in London, M&M’s stands for Mars and Murrie, named after chocolate heirs Bruce Murrie and Forrest Mars Sr., who were business collaborators. Bruce was the son of Hershey executive William Murrie, while Forrest was the son of Mars founder Frank C. Mars.
Dinhut shared a story on TikTok that received 9000 likes, in which she recounted the falling out between Forrest E. Mars and his father, who was the original founder of Mars. She stated that Forrest had been traveling in Europe when he noticed people enjoying chocolate covered in candy. As he had already had a falling out with his father, he didn’t inform him about this idea. Instead, he approached their arch-rivals, Hershey’s.
Forrest and Murrie’s son collaborated to create the candy, and they opted to name the brand after themselves. They called them Mars, like the first guy’s last name, and Murrie the second guy’s last name, M&M.
The candy became popular right before World War II, and in World War II, they made a deal with the government that in every soldier’s bag were M&M’s. The candies were exclusively sold to the military, enabling the heat-resistant and easy-to-transport chocolate to be included in American soldiers’ rations. By the time the war was over and the GIs returned home, they were hooked.
M&M’s candies are not only differentiated by their colors but also have a specific symbolism associated with them, along with unique flavors. The Red M&M represents high intelligence and physical strength, while Yellow M&Ms were one of the original colors. The Blue M&M was introduced in 1995 as the new branding color for the candies, and the Green M&M is known for its undeniable beauty.
Orange represents Crispy M&Ms and Pretzel M&Ms as their spokescandy. It is often depicted as paranoid and nervous, perhaps due to its perceived deliciousness making it a likely target to be eaten first. Brown M&Ms belong to Ms. Brown, one of the newer colors and spokescandies, and are rumored to represent the original milk chocolate flavor, though the official website states that they have flavorings of fudge brownie.
In the beginning, M&M’s candies did not feature their iconic M stamp until 1950 when customers were asked to look for it in every piece as a way to ensure authenticity.
The history of M&M’s has garnered interest on social media, with many users expressing their fascination with the candy’s origin and symbolism. This viral revelation of M&M’s history serves as a reminder that even the most simple things we enjoy in life have a rich and complex history behind them.
