The Power of One

I would bet that everyone reading this likes M&M’s candies (except, of course, if you are allergic to chocolate). In 1941, Mars, Inc started to develop and manufacture M&M’s to allow soldiers to carry chocolate without it melting. You probably remember the slogan: “Melts in your mouth, not in your hand.” Red M&M’s were one of the original colors (along with yellow, brown, and green) and quickly became a favorite. But in 1976, it disappeared from the packs of candy. Was it a government conspiracy? Probably! In the 1970’s, some study from the Soviet Union suggested that a certain type of red food coloring (Red Dye No. 2) could cause cancer in mice. Despite attempts by the US Food and Drug Administration, the dye was never found to be carcinogenic, but they banned it just the same. Even more ironic is that red M&M’s did not contain Red Dye No. 2 but a different type. Rather than fight the public perception, Mars, Inc banished the red M&M presumably never to be seen again.

But never fear! In 1982, Mr. Paul Hethmon, an 18-year-old college freshman at the University of Tennessee with a little too much time on his hands, decided he wanted to start a campaign to bring back the red M&M. As a joke, he started the Society for the Restoration and Preservation of Red M&M’s. Since this was before the Internet and e-mail, he approached his cause with a mass mailing through the United States Postal Service. For $0.99 you could join his society, receive a membership card, and receive updates on the efforts. Much to his surprise, he started getting thousands of membership applications. Newspapers around Tennessee and, eventually, nationally and even globally, picked up the story, making Mr. Hethmon an instant celebrity. He was getting membership applications from everywhere! What had started as a joke had turned into a full-fledged mission to restore the red M&M. Members of the society began writing influential people worldwide, including executives at Mars, Inc and President Ronald Reagan. Even the Director of External Relations for Mars, Inc joined the society!

In January 1987, Mr. Hethmon received a letter from Mars, Inc telling him that red M&M’s were to be fully restored. By February 1987, red M&M’s had returned from their banishment and were in every pack of M&M’s. But our story does not end there.

In 1995, the candy company began using “spokescandies” in their advertisements, especially on television. The leader of the blue, orange, yellow, green, and red spokescandies was without question the red one. He was the sardonic and cynical spokescandy for the milk chocolate M&M’s. To this day, the once-banished red M&M continues to be the leader of the group of multicolored chocolate candies.

What does this have to do with wound care? Maybe not much, but I do think there is a lesson to be learned. When something needs to be changed, whether in caring for patients or in life, one person with an idea can make a huge difference. You might not think restoring a piece of red candy is a big deal, but who would have thought a freshman college student could make a huge corporation like Mars, Inc realize the error of its ways and bring back the red M&M?

Terry Treadwell, MD, FACS, is clinical editor of Wounds.