Mentos not too long ago reworked the 2 most memorable expressions of its model, updating its iconic jingle and bringing the soda geyser experiment to Fortnite. Each efforts communicate to how entrepreneurs can faucet into nostalgia to succeed in each longtime prospects and youthful generations.
The Perfetti Van Melle sweet model on April 1 relaunched the jingle throughout social, digital and audio streaming platforms iHeart Radio and YouTube Music. However as a substitute of the unique adverts from the ‘90s that proved so memorable — if tacky and spoofable — the model tapped creators Adam Waheed, That is a Unhealthy Thought and Aubrey Gavello to make Mentos adverts in their very own picture.
“We wished to ensure that we revisited this iconic jingle, however make it a little bit bit extra related for at present’s eventualities,” stated Jen Redmond, gum and mints class director at Perfetti Van Melle. “It’s a enjoyable technique to reintroduce the catchy melody that many know and love and nonetheless keep in mind, but additionally ensure that it is related for many who do not keep in mind it.”
Reaching previous and new shoppers may assist Mentos money in on a booming sweet market that topped $54 billion in gross sales in 2024 and is forecast to exceed $70 billion by 2029, in response to a Nationwide Confectioners Affiliation report. Gum and mints noticed 1.9% greenback gross sales progress in 2024, outpacing chocolate (0.4%) however behind non-chocolate sweet (4.9%) in Circana-measured channels.
As an alternative of constructing a pinstripe swimsuit on a freshly painted bench, the influencer-created adverts discover absurdity round parking issues, workplace mishaps and housecleaning errors that might resonate extra strongly with at present’s shoppers. Equally, the following section of the marketing campaign, launching Might 1, will replace the jingle’s lyrics in adverts that includes musical comedians Carter Vail and Kyle Gordon, the latter of whom has gone viral on TikTok together with his style parodies. In each phases of the jingle relaunch, discovering the fitting influencer companions was key.
“One in every of our most necessary lenses when looking for an influencer associate is ensuring that it’s the proper match for our model they usually can perceive what we’re making an attempt to speak in an natural technique to their very own platform, to their very own viewers,” Redmond stated.
Introducing the Fizzooka
Reaching audiences on the platforms the place they spend their time can be the driving drive behind Mentos’ Fortnite activation. The model and company BBH London final month created a customized rocket launcher inside gaming platform Fortnite Inventive, turning the soda geyser related to the model into the “Mentos Fizzooka.”
The merchandise was dropped into common maps which have a mixed viewers of multiple million gamers per day, on common, updating a permanent a part of the model’s lore that continues to stay on in science experiments and social media clips.
“Much like our jingle, it’s loopy how many individuals nonetheless do the Mentos-Eating regimen Coke experiment,” Redmond stated. “We wished to take that iconic experiment that others are nonetheless doing at present, leverage that, but additionally attempt to join with the Gen Z viewers. We all know Gen Z: Gaming is life for a lot of of them.”
The Mentos Fizzooka — an activation created independently from Fortnite maker Epic Video games — demonstrates how entrepreneurs proceed to search for methods to deliver their manufacturers to life in gaming platforms. The activation offers Perfetti Van Melle some management over an more and more unsettled media world and financial panorama, whether or not going through the delayed ban of TikTok or the impression of the Trump tariff regime.
“Staying nimble is necessary. We’ve to simply management what’s inside our management. Any form of good marketer goes to have some contingency plans,” Redmond defined. “Given at present’s atmosphere, all the time conserving the buyer in thoughts first, and what they’re doing and being the place they’re at goes to be necessary. If one thing turns into not out there, there’s going to be different methods we will take a look at how we are able to attain our shoppers.”
