"Shrek" M & Ms

[Brad Ballinger]

It's not necessarily the funky colors (although those hold a certain appeal), but what is hooking me is the double-dipped nature of these morsels. If Mars would make the plain version of the candy twice as big (as they've done with the Shrek promotion), I'd hardly eat anything else.

[Yuki]

What do you mean by double dipped?

I tried them, they are just funky color and taste a bit richer than normal M&M. I stopped buying any junk food since I need to fit in a dress , just snacking off other's supplies.

[Pan]

Brad, you're a bad influence. See?

Edited May 26, 2004 by Pan (log)

[cakewench]

Yeah, Brad. Now those of us in Europe are fretting over missing out on this latest bit o'marketing.

Damn you!

so. What are the colors, anyway?

*wanders off to have.... fruit.. or something.*

Edited May 26, 2004 by cakewench (log)

[Brad Ballinger]

What do you mean by double dipped?

They're twice as big as the regular M & Ms. It's more noticeable with the plain variety. The peanut are also double dipped, but it may not be as easy to notice.

[Yuki]

Yeah, Brad. Now those of us in Europe are fretting over missing out on this latest bit o'marketing.

Damn you!

so. What are the colors, anyway?

*wanders off to have.... fruit.. or something.*

I think the color is shrek green, light brown, dark brown, white, and light skin color.

http://us.mms.com/us/news/promotions/shrek/

[hillvalley]

Arrrggg. At Target this weekend I picked up a bag but in a sudden moment of strength against the powers of chocolate I decided to be good and put it down.

Now I have to go get some.

Edited May 26, 2004 by hillvalley (log)

[jhlurie]

Got a bag of the Peanut variety today (at Target, of course!). Not bad. They do taste a bit "richer".

[Rachel Perlow]

We got some. At Target, by coincidence. Planning on posting some pictures later tonight.

[jhlurie]

Geez, where would you go other than Target for Shrek M&Ms. I mean the connection is OBVIOUS.

[hillvalley]

I had a cone of "Puss in Boots" ice cream at Baskin Robbins today. White chocolate, chocolate mouse and chocolate ice creams with chocolate covered pretzels.

[Jason Perlow]

Peanut Shrek M&Ms, in assorted colors

Clockwise from top: Regular Peanut M&M, Peanut Shrek M&M, Shrek M&M, (original) M&M

As you can see the Shrek M&Ms are about 30 to 40 percent larger. They seem to have a stronger chocolate taste to them.

Personally, I wish these would become the template for new M&Ms, they are definitely better than the originals.

[Brad Ballinger]

Personally, I wish these would become the template for new M&Ms, they are definitely better than the originals.

My point exactly in beginning this thread.

[JennotJenn]

There's a googleplex right across the street from our closest Target, which is a mile from our apartment. I know what I'll be sneaking into the Sunday matinee of Shrek 2 (we like animation a bit too much for a couple of grownups with no kids, and I like peanut M&Ms more than anyone should...perfect afternoon).

On a side note, you know what I really miss? The tan colored plain M&Ms. I know all the colors taste the same, but that one was my favorite. I was sad when they got rid of it.

[Randi]

On a side note, you know what I really miss? The tan colored plain M&Ms. I know all the colors taste the same, but that one was my favorite. I was sad when they got rid of it.

Me toooooooooooooo!

and I hate blue

[Rachel Perlow]

Because peanut M&Ms vary in size, I thought I'd point out that I tried to select average sized regular and ogre sized peanut M&M s for the above picture. In addition, the largest regular sized peanut M&M is approximately the same size as the smallest ogre sized M&M. However, the difference is on the inside. The regular one will be big because of a bigger peanut. The same sized ogre M&M will have more chocolate around a smaller peanut.

In addition, I've contacted Mars (the company that makes M&Ms) with a link to this thread and a request to make ogre size the default M&M, but with the regular colors! Hopefully, they'll respond online.

I know, I'm nuts.

[mnebergall]

Because peanut M&Ms vary in size, I thought I'd point out that I tried to select average sized regular and ogre sized peanut M&M s for the above picture. In addition, the largest regular sized peanut M&M is approximately the same size as the smallest ogre sized M&M. However, the difference is on the inside. The regular one will be big because of a bigger peanut. The same sized ogre M&M will have more chocolate around a smaller peanut.

In addition, I've contacted Mars (the company that makes M&Ms) with a link to this thread and a request to make ogre size the default M&M, but with the regular colors! Hopefully, they'll respond online.

I know, I'm nuts.

Do you have any idea how secretive that family owned company is?

[fifi]

I first saw these in my local HEB last week. There were special displays of them and there was one bag on top that somehow got a slit in it. *hangs head in shame* I snagged one. It was an undersized M&M in a gaudy green coating. A very good M&M it was, too.

Carry on.

[sladeums]

It seems that the candy companies are catching on to the fact that candy buyers will try something new, yet familiar, at least once.

The number of 'limited edition' items has really exploded over the last year and I would bet that they are seeing a little uptick in sales from impulse buyers at the very least.

The latest limited edition stuff I've noted at the stores:

Almond Joy Pina Colada (pineapple flavored coconut)

Almond Joy Chocolate Chocolate (chocolate flavored coconut)

York Peppermint Patty Chocolate Truffle Mint Patty

Hershey's White 'Chocolate' with Almonds

Hershey's Cookies and Chocolate (instead of the Cookies and Cream)

Kit Kat Mint

Kit Kat Orange

Pearson's Chocolate Covered Salted Nut Roll

Plus outside of the candy realm they have recently released Hostess Ho-Ho's with Caramel (normal Ho-Ho's with a caramel streak).

I must say, I have bought a few.

[hillvalley]

I had to go to 2 Giants and a CVS before I finally found the peanuts at Blockbuster. I got ripped off but they are well worth it. (By the way, there were black and white at every store.)

I love the colors. The green is so vibrante, especially next to the reddish brown.

I like the size, but the peanut gets lost in all the chocolate. It's the right amount of chocolate but too little peanut. I wonder if it would be better with a larger peanut. Do peanuts come in sizes?

I bought a bag for my students. We are having Field Day and the peanut Shreks are the perfect size for 'Find the M&M in the Whipped Cream.'

[Rachel Perlow]

I like the size, but the peanut gets lost in all the chocolate. It's the right amount of chocolate but too little peanut. I wonder if it would be better with a larger peanut. Do peanuts come in sizes?

At first I thought they might have been making them with larger peanuts, but a good sampling showed that they're around the same sized peanuts, with more chocolate. Sounds like you'd prefer the regular peanut M&Ms, which do have a more peanutty taste.

What age kids are you working with? I thought peanut products were pretty much verboten at any child oriented event these days.

FYI - plain M&M's contain peants too, as the chocolate in all M&Ms contains a percentage of "regrind," which is all the deformed plain & peanut M&M's ground up and added to the chocolate.

[Schielke]

I wonder which type of M&M costs more to make? One is more peanut per bag and the other is more chocolate per bag... On an industrial level, which costs more?

[Toliver]

It seems that the candy companies are catching on to the fact that candy buyers will try something new, yet familiar, at least once.

The number of 'limited edition' items has really exploded over the last year and I would bet that they are seeing a little uptick in sales from impulse buyers at the very least.

The latest limited edition stuff I've noted at the stores:

Almond Joy Pina Colada (pineapple flavored coconut)

Almond Joy Chocolate Chocolate (chocolate flavored coconut)

York Peppermint Patty Chocolate Truffle Mint Patty

Hershey's White 'Chocolate' with Almonds

Hershey's Cookies and Chocolate (instead of the Cookies and Cream)

Kit Kat Mint

Kit Kat Orange

Pearson's Chocolate Covered Salted Nut Roll

Plus outside of the candy realm they have recently released Hostess Ho-Ho's with Caramel (normal Ho-Ho's with a caramel streak).

I must say, I have bought a few.

Don't forget the Reese's peanut butter cup experiements:

White Chocolate (which seems to be sticking around)

Inside Out (peanut butter outside, chocolate inside)

and Honey sweetened (which I found too sweet...if that's possible for candy!)

And didn't they do a Dark Chocolate version, too?

Milky Way has a Dark Chocolate Bar, too (I think it's called "Midnight Bar")

[jhlurie]

Anyway, getting back to Shrek M&M's (we've kind of got an existing topic for all of these other "novelty" candies--at least in general), I kind of dig the artwork on the front of the Shrek Peanut bag (at least the 14.0 oz. size), where "Yellow" has turned Shrek green and into an Ogre.

So has anyone succeeding in biting in half a group of normal M&Ms and Ogre-sized ones (peanut would work best) and giving us a comparitive photo of the cross section?

[hillvalley]

What age kids are you working with? I thought peanut products were pretty much verboten at any child oriented event these days.

My kids are 8-10.

The level of peanut awareness is different at every school. This is the first time in six years of teaching that there is a student who has an alergy to peanuts. His classroom is peanut free. I am in his hallway and we are allowed to have peanuts but we have to keep the door closed and can't go near the student.

We did "Find the M&M" outside anyway, so there was less of a threat. Each kid had one Shrek peanut m&m covered by a plate full of whipped cream. They had to eat the plate of whipped cream and find the m&m without using their hands. It was great. I wish I could post the pics from the whipped cream eating. Everyone should do that at least once a year.

The Shrek M&M's were a huge hit. They liked the colors (green was the hands down favorite) and the extra chocolate. Some of my kids have dull tastebuds and they couldn't taste the peanuts.

We finished off the bag while watching Shrek which was great. The kids decided that the green matched the Shrek on the box better than the Shrek in the movie. I highly recommend enjoying Shrek M&M's while watching Shrek 2. They taste even better.