Wednesday, August 03, 2011

Brand Update : Mentos needs Mentos

Mentos recently launched a new variant Mentos Watermelon flavor. The brand is currently running a campaign for the new variant. Mentos has been a very interesting brand because of the unique product features and famously humorous campaigns. The tagline " Demaag Ki Batti Jalao " has been one of the most famous taglines in the Indian context .
The new ad somehow was way off the creative standards that the brand had set for itself.The ad features a young man using a watermelon carved as a helmet to evade a traffic police check really tests the common sense of the audience.
Watch the ad here : Mentos Watermelon ad 
The policeman's expression of  " what the hell " sums up the creative execution of the positioning of the brand in this campaign. The protagonist of the ad looks like an idiot wearing that watermelon helmet and the only saving grace being the " yeh Jawani " song.

I used to look forward to Mentos' ads because there was refreshingly new ideas that were being tested in those campaigns. From the campus to the last animated ad, Mentos ads were bang on the positioning of a " refreshing chewy". The current campaign really lacks the standards of the early campaigns.
For a brand like Mentos, each of these ads are important for two reasons - the brand does not have too many campaigns in an year. Typically it is one or two ads. Those ads usually are very good and is often used again and again throughout the year. Second reason is that consumers expect really high quality creatives from this brand which boasts of being a " brilliant " brand. So in this case of watermelon flavor, the agency failed to deliver a quality creative. 
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3 comments:

  1. Anonymous10:28 AM

    Monika solanki views:
    i just saw the new mentos ad.
    I agree with Harish that there could have been some more creativity,but at the same time , i feel that this advt. is totally in sync with Mentos positioning of "Dimag ki bati jala de"
    In all of the previous mentos ads, we had seen protoganist's on the spot solution to the problem...& this current ad surely portrays he same!!
    Regards,
    Monika Solanki

    ReplyDelete
  2. Anonymous10:30 AM

    Monika Solanki views:
    i just saw the new mentos ad.
    I agree with Harish that there could have been some more creativity,but at the same time , i feel that this advt. is totally in sync with Mentos positioning of "Dimag ki bati jala de"
    In all of the previous mentos ads, we had seen protoganist's on the spot solution to the problem...& this current ad surely portrays he same!!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Aptly written!!
    I totally agree with you that we expect a lot from Mentos in terms of creativity and refreshing ideas, also the brand does not have too many campaigns in an year. And this is not as innovative as its previous ads.
    Now what i think, the creative team was given a homework of putting up an ad for a flavored product. If you see this way that Mentos is an old and established brand. Apart from doing the thematic campaigns for the Mentos brand, which is mother brand for this flavored one. They wanted to focus on a campaign for Watermelon flavor so they have gone with a mix of "Dimag ki batti jala de" and the flavor, Although it shows Mentos trademark-Spontaneity & Witiness but fails to amuse audience with not so creative approach. This has demolished the creative charm of Mentos. Also the association of Mentos with YRF for Luv ka the end has further pulverized things for them.

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