New £2.5m Mentos and Kiss Fresh campaign includes ‘Corner Shop Drop’

The multi-touchpoint activity represents a total media investment of £2.5m, proof of the backing from distributor Perfetti Van Melle within the category.

It comprises of a fully integrated, 360 campaign spanning PR, OOH, social, influencers, VOD and POS in store in addition to a partnership with radio station Kiss.

The Kiss partnership will shine a spotlight on emerging talent, memorable moments and unique experiences, and will see Mentos sponsoring Kiss Fresh – which has an estimated 602k listeners monthly – and the Kiss Hype Chart, along with the creation of a ‘Corner Shop Drop’ social content series: a glimpse into emerging UK Talent.

Spanning five episodes, the series will offer an authentic look at up-and-coming artists as they explore their local corner shops.

Independent stores will take centre stage, acting not just as filming sets but as an additional, insightful storytelling tool, embodying the essence of raw community spirit.

Each episode features insightful interviews delving into their careers, along with freestyle performances that will be shared across Kiss and Mentos socials for our audience to enjoy and engage with.

To drive people to watch the series online, spotlights and live reads will be heard across the Kiss Network as well as shared on Kiss social channels.

The 10-month campaign will culminate in a Kiss Future Hype event in September, showcasing performances from the freshest names in the game, musical trends and what’s to come for the rest of the year.

Listeners will be in with a chance to win tickets on air, thanks to Mentos.

Sarah du Plessis, senior brand manager, Mentos said: “Mentos is all about embracing fresh experiences and what better way to champion this ethos than by joining forces with Kiss to pioneer the ‘Corner Shop Drop’ series?

“We’re so excited to be spotlighting emerging artists, providing them with a platform to kickstart their careers, and foster authentic connections and cultural relevance among our Gen Z demographic.

“Encouraging our audience to say ‘Yes to Fresh’ is at the heart everything we do, and our latest collaboration truly embodies this – offering innovative avenues for both artists and enthusiasts to embrace and celebrate freshness in every moment.

“Mentos Gum is an £11.6m brand, growing +16% whilst, Mentos Sweets is a £38.6m brand, currently growing +23%, and our aim with our latest investment is to build on this success and drive further brand awareness, unlocking more sales opportunities for retailers.

“We know that single rolls perform exceptionally well in this channel, whilst Mentos Sweets is growing +45% in symbols and indies[1], and we hope to leverage this momentum through this enhanced visibility.”

“We are also excited to be shining a light on independent stores through the ‘Corner Shop Drop’ series – they are the heartbeat of communities, and crucial pillars of the confectionery industry, and we want to continue celebrating their role in shaping the confectionery experience for consumers.”

Rebecca Frank, content director, Kiss, said: “Just like Mentos, at Kiss Fresh we’re all about staying fresh.

“Our Kiss audience are constantly on the pulse when it comes to new artists, so we can tap into this passion by bringing fresh recommendations, new content and live music from the hottest emerging artists to our audience in a way that is fresh and unexpected, all whilst putting Mentos front and centre.”