M&M’S Makes Sweet Music with Refreshed Brand Purpose

Music has long played a role in bringing people from various backgrounds together to enjoy shared experiences. That’s why iconic candy brand M&M’S® is showcasing its renewed brand purpose this summer through the M&M’S Music Lounge, a physical and virtual experience designed to celebrate inclusivity and community.

Created in partnership with The Mars Agency, the M&M’S Music Lounge delivers the ultimate experience for music lovers through an environment that’s designed to bring people together to celebrate self-expression and inclusivity.

In January 2022, M&M’S affirmed its global commitment to creating a world where everyone feels they belong through a goal of increasing a sense of belonging for 10 million people around the world by 2025. The brand continues to bring this refreshed purpose to life for consumers across all M&M’S touchpoints around the globe.

The in-person M&M’S Music Lounge will hit the festival circuit this summer to entertain concertgoers at three highly anticipated events beginning this weekend at Governors Ball in New York City.  In June it makes its way to Bonnaroo (Manchester, TN) , then and iHeart Radio (Las Vegas) in September. The colorful, eye-catching space will provide numerous opportunities for self-expression that illustrate the strong connection between M&M’S and music.

Anchoring the experience is Share Your Vibe, a photo booth that lets visitors identify with one of the brand’s refreshed character personalities to create socially shareable content. They’ll also receive a collectible pin based on the character they select.

Amplifying the experience are a whiteboard encouraging festivalgoers to connect their personal lives with the new brand purpose, a sampling station that lets them try new Crunchy Cookie M&M’S®, and a livestream of the festival so they don’t miss out on any of the music.

Messaging at the physical experience will also include QR codes providing access to the virtual M&M’S Music Lounge, which launched in April to spread the brand message and the fun beyond the events.

Using augmented reality technology from Blippar, the virtual experience connects to a microsite where visitors can create their own music beats using M&M’S candies to share socially, enter a sweepstakes awarding a trip anywhere in the world to attend a concert produced by promotional partner Live Nation, share their vibe as at the live events, or visit the M&M’S website to customize their own candy and buy branded merchandise.

QR codes on in-store displays will link to the virtual lounge as part of a massive national campaign that also includes radio advertising and promotions, digital media, influencer outreach, retailer-specific activations, and an ad on the Jumbotron in New York City’s Times Square.