press

A new national print campaign for Mentos Cool Chews positions the mint as the friendly, enjoyable means to freshen your breath. The ads feature a ’60s, hippy motif which reinforces Mentos Cool Chews as the enjoyable and laid back, yet effective, mint. The ads’ tag: “Enjoy your mint. Love your breath.”

“Our research clearly indicated that there is a consumer need for an enjoyable breath freshener,” said Bob Howard, vice president of marketing for Perfetti/Van Melle USA Inc. “Our new campaign plays off how well people enjoy chewing our mint and how well they believe it gets the job. But the campaign also delivers some of the light-heartedness we’ve all come to expect from Mentos.”

One ad shows a hippy woman flashing the peace sign and wearing sunglasses made of Mentos Cool Chews. The headline reads: “Reject the established mints.” Another ad shows a flower, with a Mentos Cool Chew center, and reads, “Peace, Love and Happy Mints.”

In addition to these and other full-page ads, the campaign also capitalizes on some small space, copy-only ads that reinforce the ’60s theme. One reads, “All we are saying is give breath a chance.” Another: “We’re just a bunch of breath huggers.”

The campaign was created by Cincinnati agency Barefoot. The ads will appear in such magazines as People, Rolling Stone, Maxim, Jane and Cosmopolitan.

“Mentos advertising has historically been the kind that gets people talking, so we considered this assignment a real challenge and an exceptional opportunity,” said Barefoot executive vice president John Yengo. “We believe the new campaign not only packs a competitive punch, but has a look and feel that will keep people talking about Mentos.”

The ads were created by copywriter Jeff Warman and art director Carey McGuire under the direction of executive creative director Doug Worple and creative director Jeff Chambers. Account executive Todd Jessee collaborated with Yengo in conducting the research, establishing the strategy and overseeing the campaign’s development.

The print campaign will be supported through a nationwide sampling effort that Howard expects will see more than 10 million samples distributed.

About Perfetti/Van Melle

Mentos Cool Chews are manufactured by Perfetti/Van Melle, an international company based in Europe. The company’s other products include Airheads and Frisk Gum.

For more information on Mentos, visit www.mentos.com.