Hello, I'm an expert in brand history and product development. Let me explain how the "M" on M&M's came to be.

The "M" on M&M's stands for "Mars," as in Frank C. Mars, the founder of the company that created M&M's, which is Mars, Incorporated. The candy-coated chocolate pieces were developed in the 1940s by Forest E. Mars, Sr., who was the son of Frank C. Mars, and Bruce Murrie of Hershey's, who provided the chocolate technology and facilities for production. The partnership was called Mars and Murrie, and from this, the name M&M's was derived, with the "M" representing both partners' initials.

The use of the "M" as a logo on the candy itself came later, starting in the 1950s. It was a strategic move to distinguish the brand and make it more recognizable. Today, the "M" is one of the most recognized logos in the world and is synonymous with the M&M's brand.

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Blank M&M's sit on a special conveyor belt that has a dimple for each candy to sit in, and roll through a machine where vegetable dye is transferred from a press to a rubber etch roller that gently prints the M on each piece. The printer can stamp some 2.5 million M&M's an hour.read more >>