Could M&M's Be Having a "New Coke" Moment?

We were on this story well before the New York Times, who wrote yesterday about the new M&Ms Premiums, the fact that they have no shell, and the new ad campaign that goes with it. Here are some of the points from the article that caught my eye:

""Even just seeing one color of an M&M helps say, ooh that's something different," said Susan Credle, executive creative director at BBDO New York, which handles M&M's advertising.""

Spoken like a true ad executive...looking for the ooh instead of the happy customer.

""We found that premium chocolate lovers want the smooth, creamy taste to be the first thing they taste in a chocolate product, so the smooth shell of M&M's Premiums enables them to taste the chocolate first," said Michele Kessler, vice president for marketing at Mars Snackfood."

Hellooo...premium chocolate lovers aren't buying M&Ms for that purpose. We/They buy M&Ms for the...wait for it...wait for it...taste and texture of an M&M!

"The Mars research and development team came up with a new manufacturing technique to make the shell, she said. And some ingredients are different, so the candy can accept the shimmering finishes and exotic flavors."
"Ms. Kessler said she was not concerned about moving too far from the main M&M's product."

"They're still lentils, they still have the 'M' on them," she said. "They're certainly colorful in a different way, but in a more premium way that reinforces what the product brings."

Ask Coca-Cola how depending on market researchers and agencies worked out for them when they launched New Coke.

From NYT, Mars Takes M&M's Out of Their Shell

August 8, 2008

Could M&M's Be Having a "New Coke" Moment?