Mentos History
Who sparked the beginning of a Fresh New World? Scroll down and see the success story of Mentos.
1900
VAN MELLE WAS FOUNDEDVan Melle founded in Breskens, Netherlands.
1932
THE BEGINNING OF MENTOSOn a train ride to Poland, brothers Michael and Pierre van Melle came up with the vision of a peppermint flavoured caramel candy to go by the name of Mentos. This was the beginning of a Fresh New World.
1950
MENTOS GOES GLOBALMentos production moved to Rotterdam, Holland and gained international orders from France, Germany and the UK. This marked the beginning of the New Freshness spreading across the world.
1960
MENTOS IN A ROLLThe sixties! Revolutions in fashion, sex, music and Mentos. The first Mentos roll found its way to consumers across the globe.
1973
Fruit TastesWhile the Original Mentos now even spoiled the taste buds of the King of Naples, new Mentos variations were introduced. So the Mentos fans in the USA could look forward to cinnamon and menthol Mentos, while the Europeans chewed more and more on Mentos fruit.
1976
FIRST TV COMMERCIALMentos made its small screen debut with the first Fresh TV commercial.
1990
THE FRESHMAKERMentos introduced the Freshmaker campaign that proved to be right on target: straight after its introduction Mentos sales went through the roof!
2001
PERFETTI VAN MELLE MERGERThe year 2001 was a special year for Mentos that saw the Dutch company van Melle and the Italian company Perfetti join forces, making Mentos available in shops everywhere.
2005
Launch of Mentos UKAfter being so popular in the rest of Europe, in 2005 Mentos was officially introduced to the UK.
2007
SETTING WORLD RECORDSThe Guiness World Record was set for the most Diet Coke and Mentos explosions at one time. The record was set in September in Fountain Square, Downtown Cincinnati, OH with 850 participants. The physical reaction resulted in hundreds of spraying foam fountains up to 5 metres high.
2007
INTRODUCED MENTOS GUMAfter launching in the rest of Europe in 2005, Mentos Gum made it's debut in the UK in 2007
2012
MENTOS UK ON FACEBOOK!Mentos went social by opening up a Facebook account. Since then Mentos social presence has continued to grow.
2013
MENTOS 'SHAKE YOUR MONEY MAKER'Mentos on-pack promotion for the chance to win £100,000!
2013
MENTOS 'DON'T BECOME YOUR DAD'Mentos launched the Don't Become Your Dad TV commercials - ensuring the world stays fresh!
2013
MENTOS LONDON DOMINATION!Mentos takes part in the largest outdoor confectionery campaign in London in December!
2014
Mentos Pure Fresh Chewing GumMentos Gum launches Pure Fresh; big pieces of gum for maximum freshness! It comes in a handy big bottle, perfect for your home, desk or car, or the pocket bottle, perfect for your bag or pocket!
2014
NEW MENTOS SPEARMINT ROLLMentos introduced a new and refreshing Spearmint flavour, especially developed for the UK market.
2015
WHO SAYS NO TO MENTOS?Mentos launched a refreshed brand positioning which sees the brand overcoming social barriers and making it easy to take the first step and make new contacts. "Who says no to Mentos?". In the UK a 360° campaign was launched, fully supported with TV, VOD, Social Media, PR and a targeted outdoor campaign in Birmingham, including experiential and radio.
2015
MENTOS MENTORSWhen did we stop connecting with people? How do you turn a stranger into a friend? Watch Mentos Mentors on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CN1-yvo7gIg
#WhoSaysNoToMentos?
2017
MENTOS INTRODUCES SAY HELLO... THE FIRST PRINTED DRAGEEIn 2017 Mentos launched rolls where each dragee had printed pictures. This was the first time that Mentos printed sweets with edible ink. Each dragee in the Mentos Say Hello roll had a fun challenge helping to bring people together.
2018
SAY HELLO 2This year Say Hello returned to our Mentos packs as another limited edition but this time the dragees were printed with an assortment of emojis.
2019
MENTOS COMPLIMENTOS Mentos believes the world is a better place when people connect. With our new limited edition - Mentos Complimentos we have customized our rolls with compliments, now offering an easy way to re-fresh your connections with the people around you. Because the easiest and most positive way to re-fresh a connection is by giving a compliment!
2021
YES TO FRESHIn 2021 Mentos updated its brand positioning to YES TO FRESH. When you choose Mentos, you say yes to freshness. When we choose Mentos, we say yes to fresh. Yes to the unexpected. Yes to the unknown. Yes to the path less travelled. It's an opportunity to break up the everyday, be more adventurous and and make a refreshing choice to do things differently.
2022
Mentos FantaMentos enters into a global licensing agreement with the Coca-Cola company for a limited edition Mentos Fanta flavor. One of the world's most popular soft drinks available in a delicious Mentos candy. The drink you can chew. The limited edition is available for one year so grab one while you can!
2022
MENTOS PURE FRESH GUM LAUNCHES IN A PAPER BASED BOTTLEMentos Pure Fresh Gum now available in a bottle made with Paper*
The new 50 piece resealable bottle can now be recycled with paper. The paper bottle contains the same long lasting taste of Pure Fresh available in refreshing mint and indulgent fruit flavours.
*90% made with paper (paperboard)
2024
Mentos DiscoveryEmbark on a flavour-filled journey with Mentos Discovery – a roll bursting with 14 tantalizing tastes! From the zing of raspberry to the sweetness of lychee, each chew unveils a symphony of delightful flavors like never before. Dive into a world where every roll is a delicious exploration!
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2024
Mentos Pure Fresh Gum: Product of The YearWe are incredibly excited about securing the Product of the Year award for Mentos Pure Fresh Gum, This recognition showcases that we are consumers favorite.
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2024
Bauer x MentosAs part of its £2.5m summer media investment in its ‘Yes to Fresh’ campaign, Mentos has teamed up with KISS Fresh to shine a spotlight on emerging talent, memorable moments and unique experiences. The collaboration involves Mentos sponsorship of KISS Fresh and the KISS Hype Chart, along with the creation of a ‘Corner Shop Drop’ social content series.
