Mentos Gum’s Dial-In Number Gives You Plenty of Options

This is sort of funny. Mentos is launching a new gum called UP2U, which includes two flavors in the same pack, giving you the choice of which to chew. To promote it, The Martin Agency put up a couple of billboards in Chicago (the site of the annual Sweets and Snacks Expo) urging people to call (800) 304-UCHOOSE. When you call, you get an automated voice asking you to choose from a spoken menu of options—but the questions get odder and odder. "What is your favorite color?" then leads to "Where do you think grandpa is hiding?" and then to "What would be a good name for a mongoose farm?" And on and on from there. Eventually the voice says: "Thank you, friend, for your choices and the hard work you put into choosing all of them. After analyzing your responses, it appears that Mentos UP2U gum is the perfect gum for you. Please buy some and visit us at facebook.com/up2u." This is just the first element of a larger social-media campaign for the brand that Mentos will roll out over the next few months.