The Candy Purveyor Green M&Ms have long been reputed to have sex-enhancing qualities.41 Earlier this year, M&M maker Mars Snacks opted to embrace and not ignore this juicy rumor, building a publicity campaign around the character of "Ms. Green."42 It declared: "What is it about The Green Ones®? Legend has it The Green Ones® are an aphrodisiac; rumors of their special powers have been circulating since the '70s." Twitter figured prominently into this campaign—alongside a limited-edition release of green candies that were promoted heavily in TV commercials and on a special website. The idea was to create "a whole green community (where visitors could) learn about the urban myth," said Ryan Bowling, a Mars public-relations manager for its snack brands.
41 http://snopes.com/risque/aphrodisiacs/mandms. asp 42 http://prnewswire.com/mnr/mars/31278 100
Chapter 3: More Companies on Twitter