M&M’s 2010 Favorite Character Election Promotion!

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With the US Presidential Election happening tomorrow, I wanted to reach back into the archives to present a voting scenario that was far more lighthearted than the one currently playing out.  So make the jump to check out M&M’s 2010 “Favorite Character” election promotion!

I’ve written about M&M’s elections and voting promotions once before, back when I covered Australia-New Zealand’s M&M’s election posters from 2008.  Those were pretty cool and they produced what is probably my all-time favorite piece of M&M’s mascot promotional art – for Red’s “Redolution” propaganda poster:

Australia-New Zealand - Mars - M&M's Election posters 2008

Australia-New Zealand – Mars – M&M’s Election posters 2008

It was two years later that M&M’s USA offered up a similar promotion, asking consumers to vote for their favorite characters.

M&M's Vote for your Favorite Character promo sticker - 2010

M&M’s Vote for your Favorite Character promo sticker – 2010

The promotion played out primarily on packages of Sharing Size M&M’s, with each character getting featured solo on an assortment of packs.  I’m fortunate to have a full set of all ten Sharing Size packs that were released in conjunction with the Favorite Character promotion, so here they are:

Mars - M&M's Milk Chocolate Sharing Size - Favorite Character Vote - Yellow - 3.14 oz candy package wrapper - 2010

Mars – M&M’s Milk Chocolate Sharing Size – Favorite Character Vote – Yellow – 3.14 oz candy package wrapper – 2010

Mars - M&M's Milk Chocolate Sharing Size - Favorite Character Vote - Red - 3.14 oz candy package wrapper - 2010

Mars – M&M’s Milk Chocolate Sharing Size – Favorite Character Vote – Red – 3.14 oz candy package wrapper – 2010

Mars - M&M's Milk Chocolate Sharing Size - Favorite Character Vote - Orange - 3.14 oz candy package wrapper - 2010

Mars – M&M’s Milk Chocolate Sharing Size – Favorite Character Vote – Orange – 3.14 oz candy package wrapper – 2010

Mars - M&M's Milk Chocolate Sharing Size - Favorite Character Vote - Green - 3.14 oz candy package wrapper - 2010

Mars – M&M’s Milk Chocolate Sharing Size – Favorite Character Vote – Green – 3.14 oz candy package wrapper – 2010

Mars - M&M's Milk Chocolate Sharing Size - Favorite Character Vote - Blue - 3.14 oz candy package wrapper - 2010

Mars – M&M’s Milk Chocolate Sharing Size – Favorite Character Vote – Blue – 3.14 oz candy package wrapper – 2010

Mars - M&M's Peanut Sharing Size - Favorite Character Vote - Yellow - 3.27 oz candy package wrapper - 2010

Mars – M&M’s Peanut Sharing Size – Favorite Character Vote – Yellow – 3.27 oz candy package wrapper – 2010

Mars - M&M's Peanut Sharing Size - Favorite Character Vote - Red - 3.27 oz candy package wrapper - 2010

Mars – M&M’s Peanut Sharing Size – Favorite Character Vote – Red – 3.27 oz candy package wrapper – 2010

Mars - M&M's Peanut Sharing Size - Favorite Character Vote - Orange - 3.27 oz candy package wrapper - 2010

Mars – M&M’s Peanut Sharing Size – Favorite Character Vote – Orange – 3.27 oz candy package wrapper – 2010

Mars - M&M's Peanut Sharing Size - Favorite Character Vote - Green - 3.27 oz candy package wrapper - 2010

Mars – M&M’s Peanut Sharing Size – Favorite Character Vote – Green – 3.27 oz candy package wrapper – 2010

Mars - M&M's Peanut Sharing Size - Favorite Character Vote - Blue - 3.27 oz candy package wrapper - 2010

Mars – M&M’s Peanut Sharing Size – Favorite Character Vote – Blue – 3.27 oz candy package wrapper – 2010

That’s all ten of the packs that I have from the 2010 promotion.  It’s great that they were able to have so much fun with the promo and I certainly think it produced some great packaging.

But this is not the only time that M&M’s has put something to a vote.   M&M’s have tended toward vote-based promotions a number of times over the years.   For example, at least a pair of times, Mars has put M&M’s color choices to consumer votes.  As recently as 2012, M&M’s had a Facebook promotion allowing consumers to create an entirely new assortment of colors for their M&M’s, which resulted in the following mix:

Mars - M&M's Peanut - You Picked The New Color Mix - 8oz candy package - 2012

Mars – M&M’s Peanut – You Picked The New Color Mix – 8oz candy package – 2012

Not only that, but earlier this year M&M’s introduced three new nut-based limited edition flavors, giving consumers the democratic power to determine which would stay on as an all-year-round offering.  And I’ll be covering that promotion tomorrow on Election Day itself – don’t miss it!

For now, that’s everything I’ve got to share on M&M’s 2010 Favorite Character Election promotion.  See you next time!

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About Jason Liebig

A New York City based writer, editor and sometimes actor. After spending much of the 1990′s in the comic book business helping tell the stories of Marvel Comics’ X-Men as series editor, he has since split his time between developing his own entertainment properties while still consulting and working on others. Having been described as “the Indiana Jones of lost and forgotten candy”, Jason is one of the country’s premier candy collectors and historians with his discoveries appearing in countless blogs, magazines, newspaper articles, and books. Always happy to share his knowledge and unique perspectives on this colorful part of our popular culture, Jason has consulted with New York’s Museum of Food and Drink and has also been a featured guest on Food Network’s Heavyweights, France’s M6 Capital, and New York’s TheActionRoom.com. My Google Profile+
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