Mars, Incorporated, the privately held, family-owned food and pet care giant behind brands such as M&M’S, Snickers and Pedigree, introduced a refreshed corporate visual identity in March 2019. The update accompanied a new corporate purpose statement, “The world we want tomorrow starts with how we do business today,” and a shortened tagline, “Tomorrow starts today.” [1] The company said the refresh was a corporate approach to make it known that Mars stands for more than candy, according to Andy Pharoah, then vice president of corporate affairs, strategic initiatives and sustainability. [2]
Design and History
The 2019 identity was described as the first logo change in Mars’s 108-year history. [3] The previous wordmark had been in use for more than 20 years. [4] The new corporate logo is a sans-serif, uppercase wordmark in a brighter blue, replacing the earlier serif treatment. [1] Mars said the sans-serif letterforms were chosen because their clean, clear structure is easier to recognize and read on mobile screens. [3]
Alongside the wordmark, Mars introduced a standalone “M” icon rendered in blue and green, intended for use in web icons and social media profile pictures. [3] The company also rolled out new logos for its business divisions, which share the same font but use a differentiating color for each unit’s name. [1] The divisions included Mars Wrigley Confectionery, Petcare, Food and Edge. [2]
Mars said the refreshed visual identity was intended to modernize the look and feel of the corporate brand and serve as a daily reminder of its purpose. [5]
Typography and Design
As part of the rebrand, Mars commissioned a custom corporate typeface called Mars Centra. The font’s letterforms are close in structure to the new logo lettering and were designed for use in headings across digital and print applications. [3] The new wordmark continues to be set in uppercase letters, now without serifs, and the switch to a primary ultramarine blue was described as making the mark look cleaner than its predecessor. [4]
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