Over the years, marketing has helped build and expand the M&M's brand. Computer-animated graphics, personification of the candies as characters with cartoon-like storytelling, and various merchandising techniques including the introduction of new flavors, colors and customizable merchandise have helped to increase the brand's recognition as a candy icon.
In 1982, the [[Mars, Incorporated|Mars]] candy bar company rejected the inclusion of M&M's in the new [[Steven Spielberg]] film ''[[E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial]]''. However, competitor [[The Hershey Company|Hershey]] took a chance with their [[Reese's Pieces]], which isare similar to M&M's but containscontain a peanut butter filling. With the film's [[Blockbuster (entertainment)|blockbuster]] success, Reese's Pieces sales dramatically increased, perhaps by as much as 300%.<ref name="Snopes">{{cite web |url= http://www.snopes.com/business/market/mandms.asp| title=M&Ms and E.T.|website= Snopes| author1= Mikkelson, David |date=May 11, 2011 |quote=...when Mars, Inc. passed on the chance for its flagship product, M&Ms, to be the candy used in 1982 film ''E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial''. Its turn-down cleared the way for Hershey Foods Corporation to make a remarkable splash for its Reese's Pieces}}</ref><ref name="ETBust">{{cite news |last1=Flanagan |first1=Graham |title=How M&Ms Passed On The Product Placement Opportunity Of A Lifetime |url=https://www.businessinsider.com/mms-product-placement-fails-2014-6 |access-date=September 6, 2019 |work=Business Insider |date=June 17, 2014 |quote=The only reason Reese's Pieces got the lucrative product placement in the first place was because M&Ms had already refused the filmmakers permission to use its product in the film |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190205034436/https://www.businessinsider.com/mms-product-placement-fails-2014-6 |archive-date=February 5, 2019 |url-status=live }}</ref>
