M&M'S® Launches New Soft Caramel-Filled Chocolate Candies

HACKETTSTOWN, N.J., May 11, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Over the last 75 years, M&M'S® has become known for making treats like peanuts and pretzels more fun. Today, the iconic brand is introducing its biggest product innovation ever: M&M'S® Caramel Chocolate Candies. Long gone are the days of the square-shaped, square-wrapped caramel candies –  M&M'S® has updated one of the most popular flavors by covering soft caramel in a delicious, candy coated shell.

Caramel has been "square" for far too long and M&M'S is ready to change it up by giving the familiar flavor a modern and fun chocolate makeover. With the launch of its newest flavor – M&M'S Caramel – the brand will not only "unsquare" caramel, but it will also introduce a new caramel sidekick to join the M&M'S® spokescandies cast, host an experiential event in the heart of New York City and unveil a national advertising campaign.

"Caramel is such a nostalgic and comforting flavor and its popularity is on the rise with pairings like coffees and other specialty foods. We are delighted to now give our fans a chance to experience it through the fun and colorful world of M&M'S," says Tanya Berman, Brand Director, M&M'S Brand. "It took years to develop the technology and machines required to get the delicious soft caramel ingredient into our signature hard candy shell. And, we think it was worth the wait!"

Meet Caramel
This week, the M&M'S Brand launched a national advertising campaign to support the new product launch and introduced fans to "Caramel" – a walking, talking cube of caramel who's the epitome of square. In a new television commercial titled, "Group Talk," Caramel, voiced by actor and comedian David Cross, is shown interviewing to join the colorful cast of M&M'S spokescandies we already know and love as a sidekick. Despite his old-timey traditionalism and social awkwardness, the M&M'S characters try to get Caramel out of his shell – so to speak – and teach him how to be like the lovable spokescandies. The campaign will also be supported with print, digital and large-scale outdoor advertising executions.

Times Unsquare
Today, M&M'S is bringing a whole new flavor of fun to New York's Times Square by transforming iconic billboards in the famous square into an innovative, augmented reality gaming arcade. Much like the traditional caramel flavor, the M&M'S ARcade will tap into a nostalgic feeling and bring back memories of a classic old-school arcade. It will give fans the opportunity to use their phone to turn static Times Square billboards into a fun and interactive, vintage arcade game experience.

To join the fun, fans simply need to download the free augmented-reality app Blippar, and use it to scan one of the featured billboards in the heart of Times Square and escape into a totally unsquare digital world.

The M&M'S ARcade will come to life in Father Duffy Square between 46th & 47th Streets between Broadway and 7th Avenue, for gameplay and free samples of M&M'S Caramel today from 10 a.m. – 6 p.m.

Play M&M'S ARcade Games Anywhere
The fun won't stop with the M&M'S ARcade in Times Square. Fans nationwide can join the fun by simply picking up a package of M&M'S Caramel and scanning it with the Blippar app to unlock the ARcade experience. The Blippar app is available for download on Android and iOS Phones.

M&M'S^® Caramel Chocolate Candies
M&M'S^® Caramel Chocolate Candies are now available at retailers nationwide in Sharing Size (2.83 oz.) and Sharing Size Stand Up Pouch (9.6 oz.). Singles (1.41 oz.) will be available later this summer. For more information, visit the M&M'S^® Brand Facebook page at www.facebook.com/mms or the official M&M'S^® Twitter handle @mmschocolate.

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.

SOURCE Mars Chocolate North America

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