M & M Orange (1991)

The M&M’s Plain Orange mascot, introduced by Mars Inc. in 1991, was part of an early wave of color-specific characters created to give the classic chocolate candies more personality in marketing and packaging. Unlike the anxious modern Orange “Crispy” character, the 1991 Plain Orange mascot was typically portrayed with a cheerful, friendly expression, reflecting the simple, straightforward appeal of the original milk-chocolate variety. This era marked Mars’s expanding use of anthropomorphic M&M characters across merchandise, print ads, and store displays, helping solidify each color as a recognizable figure well before the more developed character personalities of the late 1990s and early 2000s.