Steven Spielberg is the filmmaker behind transforming Hollywood’s incorporation of bizarre and larger-than-life characters in its stories. From scaring viewers with a beast of a white shark in Jaws (1975) to bringing them on the edge of their seats by giving dinosaurs a new life in Jurassic Park (1993), Spielberg consistently delivered blockbusters by expertly combining human values with groundbreaking visual effects.
Between the two iconic movies, Spielberg introduced fans to another eccentric character, E.T., through the movie E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial. Interestingly, this time, candies proved to be more central to his story than his special effects.
How Hershey’s Saved Steven Spielberg’s 1982 Blockbuster
E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial is the story about an alien, who is left behind on Earth and is saved by young Elliot. The troubled child and his siblings form an emotional bond as they try to help the alien escape from Earth and return to his home planet. Key to their bond is Reese’s Pieces.
When Elliot discovers there’s a creature among the cornstalks, he leaves a trail of candies to lure it into his house. Elliot quickly realizes that the titular character is a lot more than just a plant-like creature. The young boy knows E.T. has special abilities and they develop a special connection. An amusing part of E.T.’s personality was his love for the peanut butter candies.
E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial instantly became a massive hit, grossing $792.9 million at the box office. It also went on to earn nine Oscar nominations. Hershey’s also benefitted from this run, as sales of the peanut butter cups tripled within two weeks of the film’s premiere, as per People.
As per Far Out Magazine, Reese’s Pieces wasn’t even the first choice candy brand for the movie. Instead, the producers wanted to use M&Ms as E.T.’s favorite snack. However, Mars Incorporated refused to give the green flag for showing their product in Steven Spielberg‘s film fearing the alien would scare children.
Hershey’s stepped in and invested a million dollars to collaborate with E.T. for advertising campaigns. The gamble worked brilliantly and both the movie and the brand benefited from the link-up.
Read more: It’s Been 30 Years Since Steven Spielberg’s Greatest Movie Floored Us in Theaters
What Mars Wanted Before Allowing Steven Spielberg to Use M&M’s in His Movie
E.T.’s fondness for chocolates played a vital role in making him relatable to viewers despite his strange appearance. After seeing the 1982 blockbuster, the idea seems pretty straightforward, leaving many puzzled about how Mars missed such a great opportunity to attach their brand with such a universal message.
However, Mars Incorporated, or anyone else for that matter, had no idea what Spielberg’s vision was before the release of the movie. Further, the filmmaker had no desire to share the script with them despite using M&M’s in his screenplay.
“When we contacted [Mars] to use M&M’s, of course, they wanted to see the script,” Producer Kathleen Kennedy revealed to ET. “And there was the catch-22, because Steven didn’t want to send the script.”
With little information about Spielberg’s movie about an alien, Mars decided to not take the gamble.
