Mars Unveils the Real Chocolate Relief Act

(BUSINESS WIRE)--Americans could use some relief and are looking for reasons to smile. To help, Mars Snackfood US announced today the creation of the Mars Real Chocolate Relief Act™, a nationwide effort to bring sweet smiles to millions of Americans via free, full-sized samples of Mars real chocolate, product discounts and coupons along with the proclamation of Free Chocolate Fridays™. Now through September, Mars will give away as many as seven million full-size packages of its M&M’S®, SNICKERS®, MILKY WAY®, TWIX®, DOVE®, and 3 MUSKETEERS® brand chocolate in the United States.

TGIFCF!

As part of the campaign, every week through the end of September, Mars will give away a quarter-of-a- million full-size packages of real chocolate on Free Chocolate Fridays. Americans can claim one of 250,000 full-value coupons each Friday beginning on May 8 at 9 a.m. EST by visiting RealChocolate.com. Coupons, which will be mailed to consumers, will be distributed on a first-come, first-serve basis and are redeemable for any full-size Mars real chocolate product. The coupons will be limited to one per person, per week.

"Brands like M&M'S, SNICKERS, DOVE Chocolate, TWIX, Milky Way and 3 MUSKETEERS are loved by Americans," said Michele Kessler, vice president, Mars Snackfood US. "That's why we've created the Mars Real Chocolate Relief Act. It's our way of giving Americans a small treat during challenging times."

A Commitment to Being Real

Another reason for people to smile is that Mars remains committed to its industry-leading stance of using only 100 percent cocoa butter in its U.S. chocolate products, even in this challenging environment. As a privately-held company, Mars has the freedom to invest in the highest quality, real, authentic chocolate.

"Mars Snackfood US chocolate brands do not compromise on the purity and authenticity of chocolate by diluting it with a cocoa butter substitute," Kessler added. "Remember, if it's Mars, it's real chocolate."

Mars Helps NYC Score Some Real Chocolate Relief

Today, Mars kicked off this effort by spreading sweet smiles to more than 1 million Americans:

* In New York City, Neil Patrick Harris joined spokescandies Red and Yellow and Mars associates to announce Free Chocolate Fridays and hand out nearly 20,000 packages of candy outside of the M&M’S WORLD® store in midtown Manhattan.

“America could use a reason to smile right now,” said Neil Patrick Harris. “From New York City to Hollywood, I want to invite everyone to come down to M&M’S World in Manhattan today and help Mars and me introduce the Real Chocolate Relief Act. If you can’t make it, please go to RealChocolate.com and help spread the word about Free Chocolate Fridays. We want as many people to enjoy some sweet relief as possible.”

* Similar events, including distribution of full-sized packages of candy, were also held at the M&M’S World stores in Las Vegas and Orlando.
* A full-page print ad appeared in today’s edition of the USA Today that featured a full-value coupon for any Mars real chocolate product.

To learn more about the Real Chocolate Relief Act™, Free Chocolate Fridays™ or Mars’ commitment to real chocolate, visit www.RealChocolate.com.

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FunnySpoon.com Launches a New Twist on the Cooking Website

/PRNewswire/ -- Scratch cooks aren't the only people who need a cooking website. Launching today, FunnySpoon.com serves up recipes featuring incredible menu shortcuts that are created through the use of common grocery store items.

FunnySpoon.com features dozens of recipes and coupons, as well as a shopping list generator. The website was created by two working women, Carrie Myers Jaynes and Vicki Monti, who searched for a resource and community to help them create quick and healthy meals that use branded grocery store products. Not finding any, they created it themselves.

"FunnySpoon is for the Wednesday night cook in all of us - when there is no time to cook from scratch, you don't want to drag the family to a restaurant, and you don't want breakfast for dinner again." Said co-founder Carrie Myers Jaynes, "By using everyday ingredients, you can create a dish - in just minutes - that your family will love and you'll feel great about serving!"

"People feel overwhelmed by meal preparation - what to cook, what products to buy, how to prepare. FunnySpoon meets those anxieties head-on by providing solutions that are quick and nutritious, and by celebrating the fact that you can deliver a from-scratch result without the from-scratch complexity. We do this by pairing branded products that complement each other to create the perfect dish. Everyone has their secret shortcut recipe and we'd like them to share their wealth of knowledge with the rest of us who are trying to figure out the daily meal-time dilemma," said Carrie.

With families heading back to their home kitchens for dinner during the economic downturn, FunnySpoon comes at a perfect time to help people put quality food on the table at a fraction of restaurant prices. "FunnySpoon cooking is not cheating," said Vicki. "Not even professional chefs cook from scratch every night they are home. There's no shame in using shortcuts when the result is a great-tasting dish that fits your budget and your time."

FunnySpoon.com Announces Recipe Contest

Just in time for the website's debut, FunnySpoon.com is holding a "Share Your Recipe" contest inviting all non-scratch cooks, young and old, new and experienced, to share their recipes for quick meal preparation and shortcuts to simplify the cooking process. The first fifty submissions will receive a canvas, eco-friendly shopping bag courtesy of FunnySpoon.com.

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Five Smart Ways to Save Money at the Supermarket

(ARA) - What’s a shopper to do when the prices of grocery staples are going through the roof? Erin Gifford, grocery savings expert with Shortcuts.com, offers five ways to save serious money at the supermarket this week.

1. Keep Your Eyes Peeled for Coupons: There are many more places to find coupons today than the Sunday paper. Online coupon Web sites let you select the coupons you want to print and cut out to use at your grocery store. Also, frequent the Web sites of your favorite brands for printable coupons and sign up for special coupon offers by mail or e-mail.

You can even go online to order coupons at a site like www.TheCouponClippers.com for a few cents each. This is great if you want to stock up on sale items and need more than one coupon to use with each item you buy.

2. Maximize Your Store Loyalty Card: If you don’t have a store loyalty card, sign up for one. It’s one of the easiest ways to save money on groceries each week. Many loyalty programs send extra coupons in the mail or e-mail, and even offer discounts on the food bill once a certain amount is spent in the store.

Some loyalty card users can also take advantage of electronic coupons, like those at www.Shortcuts.com. These coupons can be loaded onto store loyalty cards and automatically redeemed at checkout. No printing or clipping necessary.

3. Be a Strategic Coupon User: Some retailers, such as Target and Walgreens, offer special coupons that can only be used at their stores. You can use these coupons along with manufacturer’s coupons on the same product for extra savings. By doubling up you can sometimes get products for free or nearly free.

Some grocery stores also double or triple coupons and often only on certain days of the week. Check your local store and shop the days when they’re multiplied for maximum savings.

4. Look for Rebates and Free-bates: A great way to save is through rebates and free-bates, which refund you the full purchase price. You can make money in some cases when you use a coupon and then get a full price free-bate. The ads for these deals can lure you in so don’t forget to send in the forms.

5. Read Money-Saving Blogs: Check out money-saving blogs that share with readers shopping tips and advice, coupons, free samples and round-ups of the best deals at local grocery stores. These Web sites have taken the work out of matching coupons with great sales to help you save money. Two to check out are www.BeCentsAble.net and www.CouponCravings.com.

Courtesy of ARAcontent

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