How Mentos is winning Gen Z with ‘90s nostalgia and Fortnite activations
From TikTok to Fortnite, here’s how Mentos is merging legacy assets with modern culture to drive engagement.
Mentos is going retro—but with a twist. The 93-year-old mint brand has relaunched its iconic jingle, not with cheesy TV spots, but through digital-first content creators on TikTok and YouTube Music. At the same time, it dropped a Mentos-inspired soda launcher weapon inside Fortnite, aiming squarely at Gen Z.
These aren't random stunts. They’re calculated moves that leverage nostalgic brand equity in formats that feel native to today’s audiences.
With Gen Z's attention fragmented across platforms and their skepticism toward traditional ads running high, Mentos is attempting to earn relevance through cultural fluency, not just reach.
This article explores how Mentos is reviving nostalgic brand equity through digital-native channels to attract Gen Z — and what marketers can take away from this tactic.
Short on time?
Here’s a table of contents for quick access:
- Mentos reboots its greatest hits
- Why it matters: candy sales are booming, but competition is tight
- What marketers should know
Patrecia Meliana
Mentos reboots its greatest hits
On April 1, Mentos relaunched its jingle across digital audio platforms like iHeartRadio and YouTube Music. Instead of re-airing old-school ads, the campaign recruited creators like Adam Waheed and comedy group That’s a Bad Idea to remix the jingle into relatable skits—ranging from parking snafus to workplace mishaps.
@adamw #ad When ur car gets towed... flip the script with the #MentosFreshmaker jingle! Show us your fresh take and tag @Mentos 🍬 #YestoFresh
♬ The Freshmaker - Mentos
Next up: a second wave of influencer-led music videos featuring comedians Carter Vail and Kyle Gordon (famous for TikTok musical parodies), which drops May 1. The lyrics will be updated, but the melody—one that still lives rent-free in the minds of many Millennials—remains intact.
In tandem, Mentos entered Fortnite through a custom-built “Fizzooka”—a geyser-blasting soda launcher that references the brand’s legendary viral experiments. Dropped into popular Fortnite Creative maps with over 1 million daily players, the Fizzooka is a playful nod to the Mentos-and-Coke science trick that still racks up views on YouTube.
Why it matters
This nostalgic-yet-modern approach arrives amid strong momentum in the candy market. According to the National Confectioners Association, US candy sales hit over US$54 billion in 2024, with projections crossing US$70 billion by 2029. Gum and mints grew by 1.9% in 2024—outpacing chocolate, but trailing behind non-chocolate candy.
That puts Mentos in a sweet spot, but also a competitive one. As taste trends, health concerns, and attention spans evolve, brands must reinvent themselves without abandoning their core equity. Gen Z may not remember the ’90s commercials, but they’ll engage with clever creators, funny formats, and TikTok-friendly content if it’s done right.
Jen Redmond, Gum and Mints Category Director at Perfetti Van Melle, framed the strategy this way: “We wanted to reintroduce the catchy melody that many know and love… but also make sure that it’s relevant for those who don’t remember it.”
What marketers should know
This dual campaign—part remix, part gaming integration—offers a few strategic takeaways for brand and content marketers:
1. Modernize legacy assets through creators, not just media buys
By letting creators riff on the jingle, Mentos avoided nostalgia-for-nostalgia’s-sake. Instead, they fused a known brand cue with native content styles. For marketers sitting on a bank of retro brand assets, the lesson is: remix, don’t replay.
Action Tip: Audit your historical brand cues (visuals, slogans, product demos) for remix potential. Partner with niche creators who can reinterpret them with cultural fluency.
2. Bring brand lore to life in gaming worlds
The Mentos-Diet Coke geyser was a viral hit before virality had metrics. Now it lives again as an in-game mechanic inside Fortnite. By gamifying the myth, Mentos added interactivity—and relevancy—without needing a paid ad slot.
Action Tip: Don’t just sponsor games—embed your brand’s cultural references directly into the experience. Consider co-developing in-game items or levels that map back to your brand story.
Patrecia Meliana
3. Think contingency-first in platform strategy
Redmond hinted at the instability of platforms like TikTok and the broader digital media ecosystem: “We have to just control what is within our control.” That means building brand experiences that can live across multiple platforms—whether or not one gets banned or loses reach.
Action Tip: Develop assets that are channel-agnostic—shortform videos, remixable music, or interactive features that can migrate across TikTok, Reels, YouTube Shorts, or even gaming platforms.
Mentos is proving that brand heritage doesn’t have to feel old. By turning a retro jingle into creator-led content and transforming a viral science trick into a Fortnite weapon, the brand shows how marketers can strike a balance between legacy and innovation.
For brands looking to stay relevant with younger audiences, the lesson is clear: respect the past, but play where the future is being built.
