M&M's will roll out three limited-edition flavors in January and put the choice of which becomes permanent into the hands of customers, the candy maker said.
The contenders are Cherry Chocolate Cupcake, Peanut Butter Cinnamon and Lemon Meringue Pie. Consumers will be able to cast their votes by scanning a QR code on select packages or by visiting flavorvote.mms.com, with the winning flavor scheduled for wide release in January.
Mars Wrigley, the maker of M&M's, did not provide an exact date for the vote but said the three flavors will face off in an online competition. The promotion follows a series of recent product introductions, including the announcement of a Honey Roasted Peanut M&M's on Sept. 10 and last year's relaunch of Peanut Butter & Jelly M&M's, which became the company's first permanent new flavor since 2022.
Social media reaction to the new lineup emerged quickly. Some fans expressed enthusiasm for sampling all three flavors, while others picked clear favorites. "I'll try them all but there's no way they can beat peanut butter!" one user wrote on Facebook. "I would try them all but I bet my favorite could be cherry chocolate," another user replied. Requests also surfaced for past limited editions to return, including Thai Coconut Peanut and Mexican Jalapeño Peanut.
The interactive vote mirrors prior campaigns by M&M's that let consumers influence which experimental flavors earned a permanent spot on shelves. Mars Wrigley executives said the approach helps the brand gauge consumer interest and engage fans directly. Gabrielle Wesley, chief marketing officer at Mars Wrigley, said when the Honey Roasted Peanut flavor was announced that "Peanut butter M&M's have long been a favorite among our fans, and we're thrilled to build on that excitement with this new twist." She added that the company aims to transform familiar tastes into "a delightful snack that's perfect for sharing."
M&M's origins date back nearly a century. The candy's name comes from Forrest Mars Sr., son of Mars founder Frank Mars, and Bruce Murrie, the son of a Hershey executive, William Murrie. Forest Mars reportedly brought the idea of candy-coated chocolate back to the United States after observing similar confections in Europe and partnered with Murrie to manufacture the product, naming it after their initials.
Customers who want to participate in the flavor vote should look for participating packaging later this year and scan the QR code to register their choice or go directly to flavorvote.mms.com. Mars Wrigley said the winning flavor will be made permanent and distributed broadly in January.
The promotion continues a recent trend of legacy snack brands using limited runs and consumer voting to test new tastes and create online buzz. Past competitions and limited releases have introduced unconventional combinations that sometimes return by popular demand, illustrating how brands are increasingly treating social engagement and product development as interconnected efforts.