WASHINGTON (TND) — Mars, Inc. has introduced a new purple
character to its lineup of M&M’s, but not a new purple color of
the popular chocolate candy.

Aptly named "Purple," the new female character is coming
aboard to help the company "represent acceptance and
inclusivity," according to a news release.

It’s M&M’s first new character in a decade. The company said
Purple’s confidence, "keen self-awareness," and authenticity
give the character a "quirky nature."

Franklin Clarence Mars (1883 – 1934)

Franklin C. Mars started the Mars Candy
Factory in 1911 with Ethel V. Mars, his
second wife, in Tacoma, Washington.

By 1920, Mars had returned to his home
state, Minnesota, where the earliest
incarnation of the present day Mars
company was founded that year as
Mar-O-Bar Co., in Minneapolis and later
incorporated there as Mars, Incorporated.