M&M’s is introducing a new character for the first time in a decade, but you probably won’t see the new hue in your next bag of regular peanut M&M’s.
Joining the iconic M&M’s crew is a new Purple peanut M&M. Not only is the new M&M the first new character in 10 years, it is also the first female peanut M&M. She joins four regular M&M colors — Brown, Red, Green and Orange — and two peanut M&M’s, Yellow and Blue. Brown and Green are also female characters.
Designed to represent acceptance and inclusivity, Mars, Inc. says the newest member of the M&M’s family is “known for her earnest self-expression” and self-awareness, authenticity and confidence are the reasons behind her charm and quirky nature.
“Mars is thrilled to debut the newest member of the M&M’s cast of characters to the world. There is so much about our new spokescandy that people can relate to and appreciate, including her willingness to embrace her true self. Our new character reminds us to celebrate what makes us unique,” Jane Hwang, global vice president at Mars Wrigley, said in a press release.
While the Purple character is new, actual purple M&M’s are not. You can order pretty much any M&M color you want on their website, and the color has shown up in holiday packages like the Mad Scientist Mix for Halloween. You can find the purple peanut M&M’s in stores and in a limited edition “Be You” jar on M&M’s website. However, right now it doesn’t appear that purple will become part of the usual packages of peanut M&M’s.
The Purple M&M’s arrival comes with a song and music video titled “I’m Just Gonna Be Me,” which also features appearances by the rest of the M&M’S crew. The song is available on all major music streaming platforms. For every stream, a $1 donation (up to $500,000) will be made to Sing for Hope, a non-profit that uses music to bring hope, connection and purpose to people around the world.
You can watch the music video below:
While this is the first new character in 10 years, the other characters got a makeover earlier this year, swapping out subtle things like shoe choices (Green exchanged go-go boots for sneakers, for example) and making the M&M’s characters come in different shapes and sizes.
Their personalities also went through some changes, with Red being kinder and Orange, who has an anxious personality and is now embracing his true self, including his worries.
This story originally appeared on Simplemost. Checkout Simplemost for additional stories.
