22 Facts You May Not Know About 'E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial'13 of 22
Pretty Sweet Deal
If it hadn't been for some overthinking on the part of candy executives, viewers would have seen E.T. eat M&Ms instead of Reese's Pieces. The filmmakers had approached Mars Inc. about using M&Ms in the scenes where E.T. is lured out of hiding by Elliott, but the company refused, reportedly believing that the creature's odd appearance might be disturbing to children. Spurned, producers then turned their attention to Hershey's and their new product, Reese's Pieces. Despite not reading the script, a Hershey's vice president agreed to a deal that allowed the use of the movie and its related images to promote the candy. The memorable product placement opportunity helped to lift company profits by 65 percent.
If it hadn't been for some overthinking on the part of candy executives, viewers would have seen E.T. eat M&Ms instead of Reese's Pieces. The filmmakers had approached Mars Inc. about using M&Ms in the scenes where E.T. is lured out of hiding by Elliott, but the company refused, reportedly believing that the creature's odd appearance might be disturbing to children. Spurned, producers then turned their attention to Hershey's and their new product, Reese's Pieces. Despite not reading the script, a Hershey's vice president agreed to a deal that allowed the use of the movie and its related images to promote the candy. The memorable product placement opportunity helped to lift company profits by 65 percent.