M&M'S® Brand Makes Halloween And Christmas Sweeter With Costumes And Decor From Gemmy Industries

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Oct 01, 2015, 12:00 ET

MOUNT ARLINGTON, N.J., Oct. 1, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Now fans of M&M'S® Brand Candy can enjoy their favorite treats in new and exciting ways during the Halloween and Christmas seasons. In addition to eating the delicious chocolate candy, fans can wear them as Halloween costumes and display them as Christmas decor, thanks to a licensing agreement between Mars Retail Group and Gemmy Industries.

Now fans of M&M'S(R) Brand Candy can enjoy their favorite treats in new and exciting ways during the Halloween and Christmas seasons. In addition to eating the delicious chocolate candy, fans can wear them as Halloween costumes and display them as Christmas decor, thanks to a licensing agreement between Mars Retail Group and Gemmy Industries. This 12-inch tall M&M'S(R) Brand Character Red is dressed like Santa Claus and performs a hilarious side-stepping dance that will add joy to the holiday season.

M&M'S® Chocolate Candies aren't just for handing out at Halloween -- they also make terrific costumes. Make a colorful entrance at any Halloween party by portraying confident M&M'S® Brand Character Red or lovable M&M'S® Brand Character Yellow. Each costume set costs $30 at select major retailers nationwide and includes an inflatable costume, white gloves, fan and battery pack. The costume is comfortable, and it inflates quickly and easily.

During the Christmas season, M&M'S® Brand is the most-purchased chocolate brand for gifting, stuffing stockings and filling candy bowls, according to the 2014 Christmas Beacon Report. Now consumers can extend their love of the M&M'S® Brand into their holiday decorations. They'll find two sweet selections starring the M&M'S® Brand Character Red at select major retailers nationwide. A 20-inch-tall Red is dressed like an elf, and he can stand and greet guests with a smile. Pair him with the 12-inch tall M&M'S® Brand Character Red, who is dressed like Santa Claus and performs a hilarious side-stepping dance to the song "Sexy and I Know It." They'll both add comfort and joy to the holiday season. The porch greeter costs $19.94, and the side stepper costs $16.92.

"M&M'S® Brand Chocolate Candies have been family favorites for generations, especially during the holidays and seasonal celebrations," says John Capizzi, general manager of Licensing for Mars Retail Group. "We're pleased to offer M&M'S® Brand fans these festive items from Gemmy Industries, an innovator in entertainment and seasonal decor."

"At Gemmy, we develop fun, interactive items with an eye on pop culture icons," says Jason McCann, President of Gemmy Industries. "From past experience with Mars Retail Group, we know that the M&M'S® Brand and the M&M'S® Brand Characters are a hit. Shoppers will be thrilled to see these new items on the seasonal shelves."

About Gemmy Industries
Founded in 1984 in Dallas, Texas, Gemmy Industries is an innovator in the fields of novelties and animation. Gemmy's animation expertise has created such names as Pete the Repeat Parrot, Douglas Fir and the Big Mouth Billy Bass sensation. Over the years, Gemmy has been equally successful in the seasonal decorations market, creating new categories and performing brilliantly in others. The company was the originator of Airblown® Inflatables, which have become a staple of holiday decor. Gemmy also has pioneered life-sized figures for Christmas and Halloween, and the company blazed new trails in lighting solutions and technology – most notably with the LightShow™ brand. Gemmy Industries is a trendsetter in the areas of entertainment technology, decorating solutions and animatronics. For more information, please visit www.gemmy.com.

About Mars Retail Group
Headquartered in Mount Arlington, New Jersey, U.S., the Mars Retail Group (MRG) creates and builds retail businesses that build the brands of Mars, Incorporated. The iconic M&M'S WORLD® stores -- located in New York City, Las Vegas, Orlando, London and Shanghai -- currently represent Mars' largest retail business. MRG also operates the company's Licensing and MY M&M'S® businesses, as well as the gourmet chocolate business that is sold under the ETHEL M® Brand name.

Mars Retail Group is a division of Mars, Incorporated. In 1911, Frank C. Mars made the first Mars candies in his Tacoma, Washington kitchen and established Mars' first roots as a confectionery company. In the 1920s, Forrest E. Mars, Sr. joined his father in business and together they launched the MILKY WAY® bar. In 1932, Forrest, Sr. moved to the United Kingdom with a dream of building a business based on the objective of creating a "mutuality of benefits for all stakeholders" – this objective serves as the foundation of Mars, Incorporated today. Based in McLean, Virginia, Mars has net sales of more than $33 billion, six business segments including Petcare, Chocolate, Wrigley, Food, Drinks, Symbioscience, and more than 75,000 Associates worldwide that are putting its Principles into action to make a difference for people and the planet through its performance.

Mars brands include: Petcare – PEDIGREE®, ROYAL CANIN®, WHISKAS®, BANFIELD® Pet Hospital, CESAR®, SHEBA®, DREAMIES® and NUTRO®; Chocolate – M&M'S®, SNICKERS®, DOVE®, GALAXY®, MARS®, MILKY WAY® and TWIX®; Wrigley – DOUBLEMINT®, EXTRA®, ORBIT® and 5™ chewing gums, SKITTLES® and STARBURST® candies, and ALTOIDS® and LIFESAVERS® mints. Food – UNCLE BEN'S®, DOLMIO®, EBLY®, MASTERFOODS®, SEEDS OF CHANGE® and ROYCO®; Drinks – ALTERRA COFFEE ROASTERS™, THE BRIGHT TEA COMPANY™, KLIX® and FLAVIA®; Symbioscience – COCOAVIA® and WISDOM PANEL®.

For more information, please visit www.mars.com. Follow us: facebook.com/mars, twitter.com/marsglobal, youtube.com/mars and linkedin.com/company/mars.

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SOURCE Mars Retail Group