GLOBAL VOTE TO DECIDE TO M&M COLOUR
By Adnews Staff
On March 6 Masterfoods USA, a Mars Inc. company based in Hackettstown, NJ, will begin a global vote to determine the next colour for M&M's chocolate candies. Voters from 78 countries will be able to cast a vote for one of three colours: purple, pink or aqua. A specially created Web site at <http://www.mms.com> will allow consumers to cast a vote online. The site will be accessible in 15 languages. Votes can also be submitted by mail, telephone or kiosks in various locations. The winning colour will be announced in June. Specially marked packages of M&M's containing all three colours will be available at retailers for consumers to sample before voting. An integrated marketing campaign including advertising, public relations, retail promotions and Internet marketing will take place in countries where voting can be done. The M&M's Global Colour Vote is the largest promotion for the brand since its introduction in 1941. Advertising for M&M's is done by BBDO. Public relations are handled by Porter Novelli. Both of these firms are based in New York.