M&M'S® Gets America In On The Fun For Third Annual U.S. Red Nose Day

HACKETTSTOWN, N.J., May 1, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- To encourage fans to show-off their funny side and raise money for children in need, the M&M'S Brand created a vending machine powered by fun and laughter in support of the third annual Red Nose Day. In exchange for a funny face, a silly dance or a great joke, the M&M'S interactive, humor-activated machine will dispense coupons to help raise donations, awareness and lots of laughter leading up to Red Nose Day, Thursday, May 25, 2017.

For the third year in a row, M&M'S also is donating over $1 million to the Red Nose Day Fund to support programs that ensure children in need are safe, healthy and educated, both in the U.S. and around the world. A flash mob at a special NYC location will kick-off the festivities later today. Then, to help America come together, get their #NosesOn, and get in on the fun, the M&M'S Brand will take its Red Nose Day humor-activated vending machine across the U.S. throughout the month of May.

"We're inviting M&M'S fans across the country to join in on the fun and help us make a difference for Red Nose Day," said Tanya Berman, Brand Director, M&M'S Brand. "We think our fans will have a lot of fun activating the special vending machine, and can't wait to see all the funny faces, poses and fun with Red Noses to support children in need."

America Gets in On the Fun

Fans are encouraged to stop by one of the below Walgreens locations, the exclusive retailer of the campaign's Red Noses. Just show the humor-activated vending machine your best dance moves, funny face or tell it a joke and be rewarded with a coupon for M&M'S and Red Noses. Stay tuned to M&M'S social media channels throughout the month of May for more updates.

• Walgreens at 1501 Vine Street in Los Angeles May 4 10-4 PT
• Walgreens at 151 N. State Street in Chicago May 12 10-4 CT
• Walgreens at 1471 Broadway in New York City May 22 10-4 ET

#Noses On

Not able to join us at one of the vending machine stops? Join in the fun on social media by sharing your best selfie, groupie, funniest face, best joke or comedic sketch and post it on your social media channels using hashtag #NosesOn. Get your Red Noses exclusively at Walgreens. Your post may even be picked by our beloved spokescandies, Red and Yellow, to appear in our custom Red Nose Day digital gallery. Check out www.SmileNosesOn.com to see all of the fun and hilarious content from across the country.

M&M'S Racing and NASCAR Celebrate Red Nose Day

To join in on the Red Nose Day fun, M&M'S driver and 2015 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Champion Kyle Busch and the iconic No. 18 M&M'S Toyota will feature a special Red Nose Day paint scheme as they race under the lights at Kansas Speedway on May 13th. Kyle and the race car won't be the only people at Kansas donning their Red Noses for the cause, as M&M'S will provide attendees at the pre-race festivities with their own Red Nose, with Kyle and fans having some fun with a #NosesOn super selfie after a special, Red Nose Day fan Q&A. The No. 18 M&M'S Red Nose Day Toyota rolls off the start line at 6:30 pm CT during Kansas Speedway's Go Bowling 400, which is televised live on Fox Sports 1.

Red Nose Day Television Special

Celebrating Red Nose Day for the third year in a row, NBC has anchored a special three-hour primetime night of programming on Thursday, May 25 with Chris Hardwick set to host the "The Red Nose Day Special" at 10 p.m., supported by M&M'S and Walgreens. This year's Red Nose Day broadcast will feature a new :60 spot from M&M'S, showing the pride and passion of Associates at Mars and that their dedication to bringing smiles to children in need goes above and beyond making chocolate candies.

Leading up to the special at 10:00 p.m. ET/PT, NBC will air special episodes of "Celebrity Ninja Warrior for Red Nose Day" at 8:00 p.m. ET/PT and "Running Wild with Bear Grylls for Red Nose Day" at 9:00 p.m. ET/PT, featuring Julia Roberts. As the challenge sponsor of "Celebrity Ninja Warrior for Red Nose Day," M&M'S will make a donation to the Red Nose Day Fund for every obstacle the celebrities conquer. The three shows are seamlessly tied together in celebration of Red Nose Day, with calls to action to donate throughout each of the night, making a real difference for children in need. Fans can support Red Nose Day by purchasing one of the campaign's trademark Red Noses for $1 from any Walgreens or Duane Reade store nationwide, with all profits benefitting the Red Nose Day Fund+. They can also support by fundraising in their own communities and tuning in to the special night of TV on NBC on Red Nose Day, May 25.

All For a Good Cause

Red Nose Day has raised over $1 billion globally since the campaign's launch in the UK in 1988. Red Nose Day came to the US in 2015, bringing Americans together to have fun, raise money and help change the lives of children in need. With generous support from millions of Americans, Red Nose Day has raised more than $60 million over the past two years, which has benefitted children and young people in all 50 states in America and 25 countries internationally through programs to ensure they are safe, healthy and educated.

To learn more about M&M'S Red Nose Day efforts, follow the M&M'S Twitter handle (@mmschocolate), visit the M&M'S Facebook page at www.facebook.com/mms and the M&M'S Instagram page at www.instagram.com/mmschocolate. And check out hashtag #NosesOn and #RedNoseDay across social channels for more information.

About Mars, Incorporated

Mars, Incorporated is a private, family-owned business with more than a century of history, $35 billion in sales, and six diverse business segments producing some of the world's best-loved brands: PEDIGREE®, ROYAL CANIN®, IAMS®, BANFIELD® CESAR® (Petcare); M&M'S®, SNICKERS®, DOVE®, GALAXY®, MARS®, MILKY WAY®, TWIX® (Chocolate); DOUBLEMINT®, EXTRA®, ORBIT®, 5™, SKITTLES® (Wrigley); UNCLE BEN'S®, DOLMIO®, MASTERFOODS®, SEEDS OF CHANGE® (Food); ALTERRA COFFEE ROASTERS™, THE BRIGHT TEA COMPANY™, KLIX® FLAVIA® (Drinks); and COCOAVIA® (Symbioscience). Headquartered in McLean, VA, Mars operates in 421 facilities across 78 countries, where our more than 80,000 Associates —all united by the company's Five Principles of Quality, Efficiency, Responsibility, Mutuality and Freedom –strive every day to create relationships with our stakeholders that deliver growth we are proud of.

For more information about Mars, Incorporated, please visit www.mars.com. Join us on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and YouTube.

About Red Nose Day

Red Nose Day (rednoseday.org) is a fundraising campaign run by the non-profit organization Comic Relief Inc. (comicrelief.org), a registered U.S. 501(c)(3) public charity. Red Nose Day started in the U.K., built on the foundation that the power of entertainment can drive positive change, and has raised over $1 billion globally since the campaign's founding in 1988. Red Nose Day launched in the U.S. in 2015 with a mission to raise money and awareness to end child poverty, and has raised over $60 million to date for the cause. Red Nose Day 2017 takes place on Thursday, May 25. Money raised goes to the Red Nose Day Fund, which supports programs that keep children in need safe, healthy and educated, both in America and abroad. Beneficiaries include the Boys & Girls Clubs of America; charity: water; Children's Health Fund; Feeding America; Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance; National Council of La Raza; Save the Children; and The Global Fund. Since launching in the U.S., Red Nose Day has received generous support from millions of Americans, hundreds of celebrities and many outstanding partners, including Walgreens, NBC, Mars, and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

*Until June 3, 2017, for each Red Nose purchased Walgreens will donate $0.50 to the Red Nose Day Fund, which supports programs that help children living in poverty in the U.S. and internationally. For more information about the Red Nose Day Fund, visit rednoseday.org. No portion of purchase is tax deductible.

SOURCE Mars, Incorporated

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