Milky Way
A Mars chocolate-confectionery brand whose recipe and name vary between the United States and international markets.
Last updated October 7, 2026
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Overview
Milky Way is a chocolate-confectionery brand made and marketed by Mars, Incorporated. It originated in the United States in 1923, when Frank C. Mars created the product as his first chocolate bar. The name was inspired by the popular malted-milk drinks of the period rather than by the astronomical galaxy. The original American formulation combined a malt-flavored nougat centre with a caramel layer and a milk-chocolate coating. It was initially manufactured in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and became one of Mars's early nationally distributed products. The brand has a distinctive international naming structure. In the United States and Canada, the Milky Way name generally identifies the nougat-and-caramel bar. Outside those markets, particularly in Europe, a Milky Way bar usually contains a light, aerated nougat centre covered in milk chocolate but does not have a caramel topping. The American bar is broadly comparable to the product sold internationally as a Mars bar, while the international Milky Way is broadly comparable to the American and Canadian 3 Musketeers bar. Local recipes, pack formats, and extensions therefore differ by country. Milky Way has been expanded through a succession of variants and adjacent products. U.S. developments have included chocolate and vanilla nougat versions, the dark-chocolate-coated Forever Yours and later Milky Way Dark or Milky Way Midnight products, Simply Caramel, salted-caramel offerings, Caramel Apple Minis, and Milky Way Fudge. Some were seasonal or limited-time products, and Simply Caramel was discontinued in 2023. International extensions have included Milky Way Crispy Rolls, wafer rolls filled with milk cream; Milky Way cakes; the British Magic Stars range of small aerated chocolate pieces; and, in some markets, spreads and other licensed or co-branded foods. Advertising has historically positioned the brand as a light, enjoyable snack between meals. Early slogans emphasized eating the confectionery between meals, while later campaigns focused more on comfort, appetite, and humorous distraction. The brand's marketing has included television, print, digital, seasonal, and character-based campaigns. Its products remain associated with Mars's mass-market confectionery portfolio and are distributed across multiple regions, although exact availability and formulation depend on local market conventions.
History
Milky Way emerged from Frank C. Mars's early confectionery operations in the United States. Created in 1923, it was Mars's first chocolate bar product and was initially made in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Its name referred to the malted-milk beverages that were popular at the time, and the original taste was designed around that flavor profile. The American bar consisted of malt-flavored nougat topped with caramel and enclosed in a milk-chocolate coating. It was distributed nationally by 1924, and the trademark was registered in the United States in 1925. The product developed quickly during its first decade. By 1926, Mars offered both a chocolate-nougat version covered in milk chocolate and a vanilla-nougat version covered in dark chocolate. The bar was later sold as a two-piece product, and in 1936 the chocolate and vanilla versions were separated into distinct products. The vanilla recipe and dark coating were marketed for many years under the name Forever Yours. That name continued until 1979; a related dark-coated product returned in 1989 and was subsequently known as Milky Way Dark and then Milky Way Midnight. A separate international identity developed in the 1930s. In 1935, Forrest Mars Sr.'s company introduced a Milky Way product in England without the caramel layer used in the American recipe. The international bar used a notably light and aerated nougat centre covered in milk chocolate. This difference created a long-standing naming distinction: the American Milky Way is sold outside the United States under the Mars name, while the international Milky Way corresponds broadly to the 3 Musketeers bar sold in the United States and Canada. The international product's low density also became a marketing feature, with advertising in several European markets highlighting that it could float in milk. Mars extended the brand beyond the core bar through regional, seasonal, and format innovations. In Britain, Magic Stars were introduced in 1995 as small aerated chocolate pieces shaped like stars and decorated with character faces. Milky Way Crispy Rolls, chocolate-covered wafer rolls with milk-cream filling, were first launched in Germany in 1994 and became an important European extension. Other products have included cakes, spreads, milk drinks, and the former Flyte bar, which reproduced an earlier chocolate-flavored Milky Way style in a twin-pack format and was discontinued in 2015. In the United States, Mars introduced Simply Caramel in 2010, Caramel Apple Minis as a Halloween-season product in 2012, and Milky Way Fudge nationally in 2018. Simply Caramel was later withdrawn in 2023. Marketing has been central to the brand's identity. Mid-century messaging presented Milky Way as a sweet suitable for consumption between meals. In the United Kingdom and Australia, a related slogan stressed that the product could be eaten between meals without spoiling one's appetite. This approach attracted criticism in 1991 from the British Health Education Authority and anti-sugar campaigners, who complained to the Independent Television Commission that the advertising could encourage children to eat sweets between meals. The regulator did not uphold the complaint and accepted Mars's argument that the advertisements promoted restraint. Later campaigns shifted toward emotional comfort and humorous situations. A widely remembered 1989 advertisement contrasted a heavy red 1951 Buick Roadmaster, depicted as eating everything in its path, with a blue vehicle that ate a Milky Way and remained light enough to cross a broken bridge. An edited version returned in 2009 without the explicit appetite-spoiling claim. In the United States, Mars launched the Sorry, I Was Eating a Milky Way print and digital campaign in 2012, using comic consequences to portray the slow, involved experience of eating the bar. The brand continues to operate as part of Mars's international confectionery portfolio, with product recipes, names, and availability varying by market.
- 2023
Simply Caramel discontinued
[1]The Simply Caramel bar was discontinued during the summer.
- 2018
Milky Way Fudge introduced nationally
[1]Mars introduced a version using chocolate-fudge nougat instead of malt-flavored nougat.
- 2010
Simply Caramel introduced
[1]Mars launched a U.S. Milky Way variant made with caramel and milk chocolate without nougat.
- 1995
Magic Stars introduced
[1]Milky Way Magic Stars launched in Britain as small aerated chocolate pieces with character faces.
- 1994
Milky Way Crispy Rolls launched in Germany
[1]Mars introduced the chocolate-covered wafer-roll extension in Germany.
- 1935
International bar introduced in England
[1]The international, caramel-free Milky Way formulation was introduced in England.
- 1925
U.S. trademark registered
[1]Mars registered the Milky Way trademark in the United States.
- 1924
National U.S. introduction
[1]The bar was introduced nationally in the United States.
- 1923
First Milky Way chocolate bar created
[1]Frank C. Mars created Milky Way as his first chocolate bar product in the United States.
Products and positioning
Mass-market chocolate confectionery positioned as an enjoyable, light, and familiar snack, with different recipes and product formats tailored to regional markets.
Chocolate bar · 1923
Milky Way
The core product differs by market. In the United States and Canada it is a milk-chocolate-covered bar with malt-flavored nougat and caramel. In international markets it generally contains light, aerated nougat covered in milk chocolate and omits caramel. The international recipe is sold under related naming conventions in different regions.
Wafer confectionery · 1994
Milky Way Crispy Rolls
A European extension consisting of crisp wafer rolls filled with milk cream and covered in chocolate. The product was first launched in Germany in 1994 and is associated particularly with the international Milky Way portfolio.
Aerated chocolate pieces · 1995
Milky Way Magic Stars
Small star-shaped aerated chocolate pieces marketed in Britain. Each piece carries a different smiling face, while the packaging and advertising use a cast of named star characters.
Dark-chocolate-coated bar · 1989
Milky Way Midnight
The successor to the former Forever Yours and Milky Way Dark products. It uses vanilla nougat with a dark-chocolate coating and forms part of the U.S. Milky Way range.
Caramel chocolate bar · 2010
Milky Way Simply Caramel
A U.S. variant consisting of caramel covered with milk chocolate and no nougat. It was introduced in 2010, later received a smaller fun-size format and a salted-caramel version, and was discontinued in 2023.
Chocolate bar · 2018
Milky Way Fudge
A U.S. variant that replaces the traditional malt-flavored nougat with chocolate-fudge nougat beneath the milk-chocolate coating.
Twin-pack chocolate bar
Flyte
A former Mars product that reproduced the older chocolate-flavored Milky Way style and was sold in twin packs. It was discontinued in 2015.
Marketing campaigns
- 2012Sorry, I Was Eating a Milky Way
United States
A print and digital campaign used comic aftermath scenes to depict people becoming distracted while slowly eating a Milky Way bar.
Outcome. Connected the brand with humorous distraction and the deliberately involved experience of eating the product.
- 2009Edited return of the classic car advertisement
United Kingdom · Australia
The classic red-car and blue-car commercial returned in edited form, with the explicit claim that Milky Way did not spoil the appetite removed.
Outcome. Updated a legacy campaign for contemporary advertising standards and messaging.
- 2006Comfort in every bar
United States · Other markets
Mars used a comfort-oriented slogan to move the brand's communication beyond its earlier between-meals message.
Outcome. Reinforced an emotional and indulgent interpretation of the product.
- 1989Red car and blue car appetite advertisement
United Kingdom · Australia · Other markets
The advertisement contrasted a heavy red 1951 Buick Roadmaster that consumed everything with a blue vehicle that ate a Milky Way and could still jump a broken bridge.
Outcome. Became a widely recognized piece of Milky Way advertising and was edited and reused in 2009.
- 1935The sweet you can eat between meals
United States · United Kingdom · Australia
A long-running positioning platform presented Milky Way as a confectionery snack suitable for consumption between meals.
Outcome. Established the brand's historic between-meals advertising identity.
Brand decisions
2024
Milky Way pudding and pie-mix collaborationProduct launchBackground
Mars expanded the brand into dessert-mix products through a collaboration with Jel Sert.
Action taken
The companies marketed Milky Way-flavored pudding and pie mix.
Aftermath
The collaboration broadened Milky Way's presence beyond bar confectionery.
2023
Discontinuation of Simply CaramelOtherBackground
The Simply Caramel variant had been sold in the U.S. since 2010, with additional smaller and salted-caramel formats.
Action taken
Mars discontinued Simply Caramel in the summer of 2023.
Aftermath
The variant left the reported U.S. range while other Milky Way products continued.
2018
National launch of Milky Way FudgeProduct launchBackground
Mars sought to extend the U.S. bar through a chocolate-forward filling variation.
Action taken
Milky Way Fudge, using chocolate-fudge nougat instead of malt nougat, was introduced nationwide.
Aftermath
It became part of the continuing U.S. variant range.
2010
Launch of Simply CaramelProduct launchBackground
Mars extended the U.S. Milky Way range with a product focused on caramel rather than the traditional nougat-and-caramel combination.
Action taken
Mars introduced a milk-chocolate-covered caramel bar without nougat.
Aftermath
The range later included a fun-size format and salted-caramel variation before the product was discontinued in 2023.
1936
Separate chocolate and vanilla Milky Way variantsGeneration changeBackground
Mars had offered chocolate-nougat and vanilla-nougat versions together as a two-piece bar.
Action taken
The chocolate and vanilla versions were separated into distinct products.
Aftermath
The vanilla version later became associated with the Forever Yours, Milky Way Dark, and Milky Way Midnight names.
Recent events
Mars announces MilkyWay Biscuits[2]
Mars Chocolate Drinks and Treats announced MilkyWay Biscuits, vanilla-flavoured biscuits dipped in chocolate. The article said they would be available at B&M from September 1, 2021, and at ASDA in a couple of weeks.
Milkyway subsidiary completed acquisition of Shandong Huaruite[3]
Milkyway's wholly owned subsidiary Shandong Milkyway completed the registration changes for its acquisition of 100% of Shandong Huaruite's equity, after which Shandong Huaruite became part of Milkyway's consolidated statements.
Sources3 sources
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