M&M'S® Celebrates Soccer Craze with Peanut-Shaped 'M-Ball'

HACKETTSTOWN, N.J., April 16, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Imagine a soccer ball that's bright yellow, oblong in shape, and totally nutty. That's M&M'S® Brand M-Ball™ – and thanks to M&M'S, now consumers can win one of their own.

Today, Mars Chocolate North America announced that M-Ball – a brightly colored soccer ball shaped like M&M'S® Peanut Chocolate Candies – is arriving in the U.S., beginning April 15, just as soccer fandom is reaching a fever pitch. M-Ball, already a sensation in Europe, can be dribbled, passed, kicked and tossed – but the unmistakable M&M'S Peanut shape adds an extra level of fun and unpredictability to every bounce of the ball.

"The arrival of M-Ball continues the momentum of our 'Year of Peanut' campaign and puts a peanutty spin on one of the world's favorite sports," said Seth Klugherz, Senior Director, M&M'S Brand Chocolate Candies. "The special qualities of M-Ball make it one of a kind, which is a great reflection of our brand since only 1 in 100 peanuts is lucky enough to be an M&M'S Peanut."

M&M'S is offering fans two different ways to get their hands on an M-Ball. They include:

• In-Store: Retailers across the country will feature "Win an M-Ball" displays with instant-win snap-tags. Fans can use their smartphone to scan the snap-tag for a chance to win an M-Ball.
• Online: For additional chances to win, fans can also visit the M&M'S® USA Facebook page (www.facebook.com/mms) to enter the M&M'S® Brand M-Ball™ Instant Win Game.

To put the M-Ball to the ultimate test, M&M'S enlisted professional soccer players from the LA Galaxy and the Philadelphia Union to try their hands – or feet in this case – at performing traditional soccer skills with the uniquely shaped M-Ball. The result is a series of fun online videos, which can be viewed on the brand's Facebook page.

M-Ball is the latest exciting effort in the brand's "Year of Peanut" integrated marketing campaign, a yearlong effort to showcase the irresistibility of M&M'S Peanut. The brand kicked off the year with a star-studded event on New Year's Eve in Atlanta – the unofficial peanut capital of the nation – and launched a humorous online video series called the "Search for the One," which starred actor and comedian David Koechner as an eccentric explorer searching for the "perfect peanut." The "Year of Peanut" campaign also featured a fully integrated push behind the Super Bowl XLVIII spot that included a humorous trailer and social media campaign fueled by Yellow and his fellow M&M'S spokescandies.

To learn more about the M-Ball and to enter the online instant-win game, visit www.facebook.com/mms. 

About 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 72,000 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®, KITEKAT®, BANFIELD® Pet Hospital 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, linkedin.com/company/mars

SOURCE Mars Chocolate North America