Mentos Mentors – Mentos UK 2015 | Clapboard Ad Archive

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Mentos Mentors - Mentos | Clapboard Ad Archive

Mentos Mentors, BBH’s 2015 digital campaign for Mentos in the United Kingdom, stands as a sharp example of using brand benefit as narrative engine within the confectionery and snacks category, asserting Mentos as a connector and social catalyst. At its creative core is a playful, disarming social experiment: a cohort of shy adults, equipped with hidden earpieces and dubbed as mentees, receive unexpected guidance from a panel of five-year-olds — billed as communication experts — who feed them conversation starters and interaction tips in real time. This generational role reversal leverages the innate openness and spontaneity of children, sharply contrasting with the hesitance of socially reserved adults and creating both heart and humor in the resulting hidden-camera interactions. Instead of relying on the literal product, Mentos becomes the thematic spark for authentic interactions, translating the brand’s longstanding positioning — helping people connect — into a dynamic, lived story that underscores the value of everyday approachability. Strategically, the campaign’s structure taps into a widespread anxiety around adult social connection, making the premise instantly relatable while using the innocence and candor of childhood to dissolve barriers and drive emotional engagement. The visual authenticity of footage, captured surreptitiously, breeds trust while heightening the sense of vulnerability and real personal growth, transforming fleeting sidewalk encounters into micro-narratives of breakthrough and belonging. This approach anchors Mentos’s differentiation in a space dominated by emotional storytelling (à la Cadbury) and playful, youth-angled irreverence (as with Skittles), instead offering a cultural insight executed in a form that sits squarely in Clapboard’s FORMAT#6 — Benefit Causes Story — where the action is wholly contingent on the brand’s reason for being. Over 1.5 million campaign views signal robust reach and resonance, with a viral dynamic reflective of broader social optimism and a hunger for content rooted in human connection rather than spectacle. The brand, never overshadowed by product literalism or sentimental cliché, instead claims ground as a facilitator of joyfully awkward, ultimately genuine social moments, differentiating itself within an industry crowded by either pure nostalgia or offbeat camp. Clapboard rates this 79/100. In a category where emotional territory is aggressively contested, Mentos Mentors demonstrates how brand benefit can be credibly translated into original, culturally salient narrative, signaling future opportunity for digital-first storytelling that humanizes rather than interrupts.

Credits

Client

Mentos

Agency

BBH

Creative Director

Shelley Smoler, Raphael Basckin

Group Creative Director

Paco Conde, Beto Fernandez, Joakim Borgstrom

Creatives

Doug Fridlund, Mikael Alcock

Production House

Indy8

Director

Matt Pollock

Producer

Laura Graham, Emory Ruegg, Rupert Reynolds-MacLean

Cinematographer

Robin Fox

Category Mind Map

48%

The Mentos Mentors campaign leverages the brand’s core proposition of facilitating genuine human connection by positioning Mentos as a social catalyst that helps break down communication barriers. By framing Mentos as a facilitator of friendly interaction, the campaign underscores the product’s value beyond taste—encouraging openness, spontaneity, and approachability among individuals who might typically struggle to connect with others. The market strategy is rooted in a relatable insight about social anxiety and the challenges shy adults face in initiating conversations. The campaign targets socially reserved adults in the United Kingdom, tapping into a universal desire for meaningful human interaction. Creatively, it employs a narrative approach using hidden cameras to unobtrusively capture authentic moments. The twist of having “communication experts” feed conversation prompts through earpieces—ironically voiced by five-year-olds—adds an element of surprise and warmth while highlighting children’s innate social ease, positioning them as mentors to adults. This contrast not only generates emotional engagement but also reinforces the idea that social connection can be simple and joyful, aligning with Mentos’ brand ethos. Overall, the campaign combines social experimentation and narrative storytelling to humanize the brand and resonate emotionally with its target audience.

FORMAT#6 BENEFIT CAUSES STORY — Builds a story where the product’s benefit is the reason for the action or twist. This campaign most closely fits the "Benefit Causes Story" format. The narrative follows shy adults, a relatable user group, who are given assistance to make new friends via hidden earpieces that relay advice from children—highlighting kids’ uninhibited social skills. This quirky twist springs from the core Mentos brand positioning: “helping people connect.” The story's initiation and unfolding (social connection) is caused by the product’s overarching benefit, not a literal demonstration of eating Mentos, but the thematic brand promise that Mentos helps break the ice and encourages social interaction. The entire campaign and its resulting vignettes only exist because of this core Mentos benefit. (Reference: https://www.clapboard.com/blog/branding-and-advertising/brand-strategy/12-advertising-creative-formats)

1. Haribo – Market Positioning Haribo positions itself as a fun, playful, and iconic gummy brand with a rich heritage. It emphasizes joyful experiences and childhood nostalgia, focusing on wide flavor variety and distinctive product shapes. Haribo leverages strong emotional connections and family-friendly appeal to dominate the chewy candy segment. 2. Cadbury – Market Positioning Cadbury is positioned as a premium confectionery brand synonymous with creamy, high-quality chocolate treats. It emphasizes heritage, trust, and indulgence with a strong focus on emotional storytelling and festive moments, catering to consumers seeking comfort and rich taste experiences. 3. Skittles – Market Positioning Skittles differentiates itself through vibrant colors, bold fruit flavors, and a quirky, youthful brand personality. Its “Taste the Rainbow” campaign highlights fun and diversity, targeting a younger demographic with an emphasis on playful, unconventional sweetness experiences beyond traditional chocolate. 4. Nestlé (KitKat) – Market Positioning Nestlé’s KitKat blends chocolate with a unique wafer texture, emphasizing moments of relaxation and social connection through the tagline “Have a break, have a KitKat.” It targets broad demographics seeking a quick indulgence with consistent quality and strong global recognition. 5. Wrigley’s (Doublemint, Juicy Fruit) – Market Positioning Wrigley’s focuses on gum and mints, positioning its products around freshness, long-lasting flavor, and oral enjoyment. It appeals to health-conscious and active consumers by promoting breath freshness and functional benefits, differentiating itself from traditional confectionery by emphasizing utility and refreshment.

Q: What is Mentos Mentors about? A: Mentos Mentors is a digital campaign launched by Mentos in the United Kingdom in 2015, created by the agency BBH. The campaign centers on the idea of helping shy adults break social barriers and make new friends, using hidden earpieces to feed them conversation prompts from unexpected "communication experts"—five-year-old children. Captured via hidden cameras, the campaign documents authentic, unscripted interactions, reinforcing Mentos’ positioning as a catalyst for genuine human connection. The project amassed significant online engagement, reflecting its resonance with audiences seeking relatable, emotionally driven storytelling within the confectionery and snacks market. Q: What creative device does Mentos Mentors use? A: Mentos Mentors employs the Benefit Causes Story format, as classified by Clapboard’s 12-format taxonomy. In this approach, the narrative is driven by the brand’s core benefit—in this case, Mentos’ promise to help people connect socially. The campaign’s action unfolds as shy adults receive real-time advice from children via earpieces, highlighting the ease and spontaneity of childhood social skills. The story’s progression is entirely motivated by the brand’s thematic benefit, positioning Mentos as the enabler of the campaign’s central twist and reinforcing its role as a social catalyst. Q: What is the campaign proposition for Mentos Mentors? A: The campaign proposition for Mentos Mentors is to position Mentos as a facilitator of genuine human connection, targeting socially reserved adults in the United Kingdom who face challenges in initiating conversations. By leveraging the insight that many people struggle with social anxiety, the campaign reframes Mentos as more than a confectionery product—it becomes a tool for openness, spontaneity, and approachability. The creative execution, featuring children as communication mentors, underscores the brand’s ethos that social connection can be simple and joyful, resonating with audiences who value authenticity and emotional engagement in everyday interactions. Q: How does Mentos Mentors rank in Clapboard's archive? A: Mentos Mentors holds a Clapboard Campaign Score of 79/100 in Clapboard’s global ad archive. This score reflects the campaign’s creative ambition, execution quality, and cultural relevance as evaluated by Clapboard’s curatorial standards. Q: Who are the competitors in Mentos's category? A: In the confectionery and snacks category, Mentos competes with brands such as Haribo, which is known for its playful, nostalgic positioning and strong family appeal; Cadbury, which stands for premium quality and emotional storytelling centered on indulgence; Skittles, which differentiates itself with vibrant colors and a quirky, youthful personality; Nestlé’s KitKat, which emphasizes moments of relaxation and social connection; and Wrigley’s, which focuses on freshness and functional benefits in the gum and mints segment. Each competitor brings a distinct brand promise and emotional territory to the market.