In the weeks leading up to Valentine's Day, candy aisles across the nation usually take on a distinctly pink, white and red palette. But this year, notes Drew McLellan of Drew's Marketing Minute, you'll also find plenty of green. Why? The Mars Company is capitalizing on a popular myth surrounding M&Ms of that particular hue and created special packages containing only green M&Ms.

According to urban legend debunker Snopes.com, "The rumor that these green candies are an aphrodisiac apparently started or first gained prominence in the 1970s, when students reportedly picked the green ones out of packages to feed to the objects of their desires."

Included on McLellan's list of what The Mars Company got right when they created their new packaging:

• Embracing the brand from the customer's point of view.
• Showing a sense of humor and playfulness that has always been part of the M&M brand.
• Giving new life to an old product at little cost to the company.
• Creating a buzz-worthy moment by touting green as a color of love.
• Launching a seasonal product its customers will scan the aisles for next year.

The Po!nt: Writes McLellan, "Bravo [to] M&M/Mars for recognizing that you can't rein in your brand and sometimes, you just have to go with the flow. In this case, brilliantly!"

Source: Drew's Marketing Minute. Click here for the post.

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