M&Ms unveils new Purple character representing ‘acceptance and inclusivity’

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M&Ms has unveiled its first new colour in a decade: Purple.

To top it off, it’s also the first-ever female chocolate peanut character.

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Purple’s arrival to “help more people feel they belong” was announced with “I’m Just Gonna Be Me,” a new promotional song and music video.

The video begins with Purple sitting in a dressing room about to perform, but questioning if she’s capable of her role as the newest M&M spokescandy.

She begins performing before hitting the stage, singing, “I’m just gonna be me, I’m just gonna be me. Nothing else I can be but a purple-y, peanut-shaped chocolate candy.”

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The violet addition to the “iconic crew” is “designed to represent acceptance and inclusivity” and her “keen self-awareness, authenticity and confidence are the driving forces behind Purple’s charm and quirky nature,” Mars said in a press release.

For each song stream, which is available on all major streaming platforms, M&M’s will donate $1 – up to $500,000 – to Sing for Hope, a nonprofit organization that creates healing and equity in the arts by bringing music and creative outlets to people around the world.

M&M’s will also donate $5 – up to an additional $100,000 – to the nonprofit for every pack purchased.

“There is so much about our new spokescandy that people can relate to and appreciate, including her willingness to embrace her true self,” Jane Hwang, global vice-president at Mars Wrigley, said in a statement. “Our new character reminds us to celebrate what makes us unique.”

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The original red, yellow, orange, green, blue and brown characters remain.

In May, Mars announced a partnership with Lil Nas X, including a “Long Live Montero” bag with candies featuring the rapper’s face, pink, blue and purple hearts, and butterflies.

Earlier this year, the brand kicked off its makeover with more modern looks and bolder personalities for its characters, and removing their prefixes.

Specifically, the two female chocolate M&Ms Green and Brown were portrayed as empowered bosses.

A spokesperson at the time said the company was “looking into ways to better gender balance the crew and while we can’t share specifics just yet, there is a lot of work being done.”