M&M's are "colorful button-shaped chocolates" produced by Mars, Incorporated and similar to and inspired by Smarties. The candy shell, each of which has the letter "m" printed in lower case on one side, surrounds a filling which varies depending on the variety of M&M's. The original candy had a milk chocolate filling which, upon introducing other varieties, was branded as the "plain" variety. "Peanut" M&M's, which feature a peanut coated in milk chocolate and, finally, a candy shell, were the first variety introduced and remain a regular variety. Numerous other varieties have been introduced, some of which are regular widespread varieties (such as "peanut butter", "pretzel", "crispy", and "dark chocolate"), while others are limited in duration or geographic availability. M&M's originated in the United States in 1941, and are now sold in as many as 100 countries. They are produced in different colors, some of which have changed over the years. The candy-coated chocolate concept was inspired by a method used to allow soldiers to carry chocolate without having it melt. The company's longest-lasting slogan reflects this: "Melts in your mouth, not in your hand."
In 1990, M&M's exhibited at New York's Erie County Fair a life-size fiberglass cow covered with 66,000 M&M candies—each adhered by hand with the "m" logo on each candy facing outward. According to a website run by the cow's designer, Michael Adams, the stunt earned M&M Mars $1 million in free publicity because it was reported on by Newsweek magazine, as well as the New York Post, UPI and WABC-TV, and Live with Regis.
In 1995 the company ran the M&M's Color Campaign, a contest in which participants were given the choice of selecting purple, blue, or pink as the color of a new variety of M&M's. The announcement of the winning color (blue) was carried on most of the television network's news programs as well as the talk shows of David Letterman and Jay Leno. As part of the contest results, the company had the Empire State Building lighted in blue. Although the financial details of these deals were not disclosed and neither was the campaign's effect on sales, one marketing book estimated that the company "collected millions" in free publicity and that the campaign "certainly" resulted in an increasing of the brand's awareness. In 1998, M&M's were styled as "The Official Candy of the New Millennium," as MM is the Roman numeral for 2000. This date was also the release of the rainbow M&M's which are multi-coloured and filled with a variety of different fillings.
In 2000, "Plain" M&M's (a name created in 1954 when "Peanut" M&M's were introduced) were renamed "Milk Chocolate" M&M's, and pictures of the candy pieces were added to the traditional brown and white packaging. The new millennium also brought about new M&M's video games as well. "M&M's: The Lost Formulas" was released on September 28, 2000, and "M&M's: Mini Madness" was also released on December 14, 2000.
