With the US Presidential Election happening tomorrow, I wanted to reach back into the archives to present a voting scenario that was far more lighthearted than the one currently playing out. So make the jump to check out M&M’s 2010 “Favorite Character” election promotion!
I’ve written about M&M’s elections and voting promotions once before, back when I covered Australia-New Zealand’s M&M’s election posters from 2008. Those were pretty cool and they produced what is probably my all-time favorite piece of M&M’s mascot promotional art – for Red’s “Redolution” propaganda poster:

Australia-New Zealand – Mars – M&M’s Election posters 2008
It was two years later that M&M’s USA offered up a similar promotion, asking consumers to vote for their favorite characters.

M&M’s Vote for your Favorite Character promo sticker – 2010
The promotion played out primarily on packages of Sharing Size M&M’s, with each character getting featured solo on an assortment of packs. I’m fortunate to have a full set of all ten Sharing Size packs that were released in conjunction with the Favorite Character promotion, so here they are:

Mars – M&M’s Milk Chocolate Sharing Size – Favorite Character Vote – Yellow – 3.14 oz candy package wrapper – 2010

Mars – M&M’s Milk Chocolate Sharing Size – Favorite Character Vote – Red – 3.14 oz candy package wrapper – 2010

Mars – M&M’s Milk Chocolate Sharing Size – Favorite Character Vote – Orange – 3.14 oz candy package wrapper – 2010

Mars – M&M’s Milk Chocolate Sharing Size – Favorite Character Vote – Green – 3.14 oz candy package wrapper – 2010

Mars – M&M’s Milk Chocolate Sharing Size – Favorite Character Vote – Blue – 3.14 oz candy package wrapper – 2010

Mars – M&M’s Peanut Sharing Size – Favorite Character Vote – Yellow – 3.27 oz candy package wrapper – 2010

Mars – M&M’s Peanut Sharing Size – Favorite Character Vote – Red – 3.27 oz candy package wrapper – 2010

Mars – M&M’s Peanut Sharing Size – Favorite Character Vote – Orange – 3.27 oz candy package wrapper – 2010

Mars – M&M’s Peanut Sharing Size – Favorite Character Vote – Green – 3.27 oz candy package wrapper – 2010

Mars – M&M’s Peanut Sharing Size – Favorite Character Vote – Blue – 3.27 oz candy package wrapper – 2010
That’s all ten of the packs that I have from the 2010 promotion. It’s great that they were able to have so much fun with the promo and I certainly think it produced some great packaging.
But this is not the only time that M&M’s has put something to a vote. M&M’s have tended toward vote-based promotions a number of times over the years. For example, at least a pair of times, Mars has put M&M’s color choices to consumer votes. As recently as 2012, M&M’s had a Facebook promotion allowing consumers to create an entirely new assortment of colors for their M&M’s, which resulted in the following mix:

Mars – M&M’s Peanut – You Picked The New Color Mix – 8oz candy package – 2012
Not only that, but earlier this year M&M’s introduced three new nut-based limited edition flavors, giving consumers the democratic power to determine which would stay on as an all-year-round offering. And I’ll be covering that promotion tomorrow on Election Day itself – don’t miss it!
For now, that’s everything I’ve got to share on M&M’s 2010 Favorite Character Election promotion. See you next time!