Mentos 'Asianises' to boost appeal

The offering was created by Leo Burnett Kreasindo, which currently handles the Italian confectionary giant's business in the country. According to ECD Chris Chiu, the basic objective was to raise awareness and update the brand image. "For years, Asia has been using Mentos spots created out of Europe," explained Chiu. "The spot aims to inject a modern Asian twist to the familiar Mentos 'freshmaker' formula -- which was first launched over a decade ago." This client-driven initiative has seen similar 'Asian' updates of the traditional Mentos creative roll-out in India and China. For Indonesia, the TVC features a trendy young couple whose car crashes into one in front. Upon being confronted by the second car's owner, the driver "pops a Mentos, grabs his girlfriend's hairband and faces the problem head on," in Chiu's words. "Very significantly, the playful portrayal of the young male lead is a sign of changing times in Asia, which perhaps was not possible five years ago in this part of the world." Chiu added that the key challenge for Mentos comes from its broad appeal in the confectionery market, which is often segmented by age. "Although we are talking to 18 to 24 year-olds, anyone younger or older will also consume Mentos." "The world is changing at an incredibly fast rate and it's important to keep evolving, keep relevant and keep up with change, especially for an established brand like Mentos," said Chiu. The 30-second TVC will run daily on local channels and MTV.