M&M's is a globally recognized chocolate brand known for its colorful candy-coated chocolates produced by Mars. The brand has built its reputation not only on its delicious products but also through memorable and humorous advertising featuring its iconic candy characters. M&M's offers two main varieties: plain and peanut.

M&M's Logo Evolution and Design

1941 – The Birth of M&M's

The M&M's brand was introduced in 1941 alongside its original logo, which featured a wordmark in bold lowercase letters. The color palette at the time was simple yet strong, with a deep brown background and bright orange lettering. The logo’s design emphasized professionalism and stability, using a serif font to convey trustworthiness. The “S” in the wordmark was slightly smaller than the other letters, giving the logo a distinctive character.

1954 – 1970: A Hand-Drawn Look

In 1954, the M&M’s logo underwent a dramatic change. The typeface was redesigned to a hand-drawn style, which was more playful and informal compared to the previous version. The logo was also brightened, with a yellow color for the wordmark set against a contrasting black background. This period marked the brightest version of the M&M's logo, aligning with the brand's growing popularity.

1970 – 1988: A Confident Shift

The 1970 redesign introduced a more professional and confident look. The logo's color palette shifted to brown on white, and the font became more solid and structured. This design remained consistent for nearly two decades, establishing M&M’s as a household name.

1986 – 1991: Refining the Look

In 1986, the logo's brown shade was darkened to evoke the rich, chocolatey nature of the product. The wordmark's lines became more refined and stronger, which helped make the logo appear more contemporary and aligned with the evolving brand image.

1991 – 2000: A Warmer, Lighter Brown

In 1991, the brand refined its visual identity further by lightening the brown tone of the logo. This subtle adjustment made the brand appear more approachable while maintaining its association with chocolate. The letterforms were slightly adjusted, with a slight increase in width and reduction in height, creating a more balanced appearance.

2000 – 2004: Modernized and Volume-Enhanced

The 2000 redesign introduced a new, lighter shade of brown and added a white and brown outline around the wordmark. This gave the logo a sense of depth and volume, making it appear more modern and dynamic. The logo was now more visually appealing and instantly recognizable.

2004 – 2018: Dynamic and Gradient-Inspired

In 2004, the M&M’s logo took on a more dynamic look with a gradient brown tone and a black shadow behind the lettering. The wordmark was placed diagonally, contributing to a sense of motion and energy. The background was kept white, emphasizing the sleek design of the wordmark.

2019 – 2022: Minimalism and Confidence

The 2019 redesign brought the M&M’s logo back to a flatter, more minimalist style. The dark brown shade returned as the primary color, and the wordmark was simplified. The ampersand was slightly reworked, with a white outline to help it stand out. The diagonal placement of the logo remained, but the overall design was more confident and clean.

2022 – Present: Refined Horizontal Look

In 2022, the M&M’s logo was refined once more, with the diagonal wordmark now placed horizontally. While the typeface and color remained similar to the previous redesign, this change provided the logo with a more modern, straightforward appearance. This version of the logo continues to be used today, solidifying M&M's place as one of the most recognizable candy brands in the world.

Font and Color Significance

The M&M’s logo uses an ExtraBold serif font with thick vertical strokes and thin serifs at the ends. Fonts like Stafford Serial Bold and Pragmatica SlabSerif ExtraBold closely resemble the style used in M&M's logo. The rich, warm brown color used in the wordmark is closely associated with milk chocolate, evoking feelings of sweetness and comfort, reinforcing the brand's identity as a beloved chocolate treat. The color scheme and font choices are integral in conveying the brand’s message of fun, quality, and indulgence.

Through its various logo iterations, M&M’s has maintained a balance of evolution and consistency, always adapting to modern trends while staying true to the playful, colorful identity that made it famous.