Mentos made its mark in the ’90s with its smile-filled “Freshmaker” campaign, then later with its Mentos-meets-diet soda geyser experiments. Seems that millions of people around the world have come up with unique ways to use the chewy mints, from bathing in a tub of mints to using them in smoothies, so the candy maker decided it was time to remind fans that Mentos are for chewing.
Mentos now hopes to become an earworm with the debut a new music video from viral video hitmakers The Gregory Brothers that gives a nod to all the quirky and wonderful things people have done with their Mentos, and the video reminds viewers the mints are made for chewing. The campaign was developed by independent creative agency Highdive.
“We really wanted to pay homage to the fact that the iconic Mentos mint has been enjoyed in many different, fun and comical ways over the years,” said Craig Cuchra, vp of marketing, Perfetti Van Melle North America, maker of Mentos in a statement. “We’ve loved seeing how people have used their creativity with Mentos Chewy Mints, but at the end of the day they really are made for refreshing chewing and this music video tells that story perfectly.”
Chad Broude, co-founder and co-chief creative officer, told Adweek that he’s been singing the “It’s Corn” song by the Gregory Brothers for a year, so he was moved to use the duo for an earworm about Mentos.
“While we love how much fun people are having with the Mentos mints and their place in pop culture, we want to remind them that oh yeah, Mentos were made to chew and enjoy the refreshing moments. They’re delicious. They’re simply fun,” said Broude.
The music video features user-generated content from across the web showing the myriad ways people have used Mentos Chewy Mints. It shows social media influencers such as @alispagnola and @inacakes making fine art with Mentos and even “cake-ifying” the product. The Gregory Brothers sing about all the unexpected uses for the mints with a catchy chorus, ‘Ohhhh it’s true. Mentos were made to chew.”
Broude recalled the “Freshmaker” videos as one inspiration for the campaign.
“The ‘Freshmaker’ commercials in a lot of ways were the viral videos of their time. People loved to mimic them and the song obviously became an iconic piece of pop culture and ad jingle history. So yeah, in some ways this does feel like the evolution of those iconic ads for the modern world,” said Broude.
The video is being shared by The Gregory Brothers, the content creators, and the brand on TikTok, Instagram and YouTube.