Leading confectionery manufacturer, Perfetti Van Melle, celebrates success as both Fruit-tella Curiosities and Mentos Pure Fresh Gum are awarded the title of Product of the Year[1] (POTY) for 2024. This marks Perfetti Van Melle’s second, consecutive POTY win, after Mentos Fanta was awarded the prestigious title in 2023, demonstrating the company’s unwavering commitment to pioneering innovation. Continuing the success of Mentos Fanta into 2024, Perfetti Van Melle also took home the award for ‘Campaign of The Year’, an accolade that acknowledges outstanding integration and use of logo from the previous year.
Mentos Pure Fresh Gum launched in a first-of-its-kind paperboard bottle format in November 2022, representing a significant step in the right direction towards Perfetti Van Melle’s wider sustainability goals. As the fastest growing top 5 gum brand in the UK[2], the success of Mentos Pure Fresh Gum speaks not only to its exceptional taste and freshness, but also to the resonance of sustainable packaging with modern consumers.
Fruit-tella Curiosities was new to market last year, representing the brands’ latest foray into jellies, and it has swiftly become a cherished family favourite. Top 10 candy brand, Fruit-tella[3], has since expanded the range to a total of four HFSS-compliant, themed packs, boasting a range of different, perennially popular flavours, playful shapes and educational packaging – a testament to Perfetti Van Melle’s commitment to providing families with wholesome, enjoyable treats.
On average, previous POTY winners see a sales rise by 10-15%[4], so this win is set to catapult Mentos Pure Fresh Gum and Fruit-tella Curiosities into even greater popularity and demand.
Mark Roberts, Marketing & Trade Director at Perfetti Van Melle said: “We are absolutely thrilled to have won the Product of the Year title for the second year running – and this year, we’ve won it twice! Innovation is always at the heart of what we do, and these accolades reaffirm our commitment to pushing the boundaries of confectionery, and creating sweet treats that resonate with consumers – whether that’s inspiring the nation to say Yes To Fresh with Mentos or igniting the curiosity of families with delicious Fruit-tella Curiosities jellies”.
Sarah du Plessis, Brand Manager at Mentos said: “We are incredibly excited about winning the Product of the Year award for Mentos Gum, which serves as another way to boost awareness of our tasty product range, and provides consumers with yet another compelling reason to explore and trust our brand and offerings. Since receiving this exciting news, our team has been busy planning how to seamlessly integrate this achievement into our media and communications for the year ahead – stay tuned!”
Lauren Potter, Senior Brand Manager at Fruit-tella said: “We launched Fruit-tella Curiosities last year, on a mission to support parents who are searching for a high-quality, all-natural treat for the family. Now, with strengthened market presence and increased consumer visibility, we are perfectly poised to expand the portfolio even further and introduce new products to the market – this is only the start!”
[1] Survey of 8,000 people, Kantar, Categories: Fruit-tella Curiosities (Sweets), Mentos Gum (Chewing Gum)
[2] Circana All Outlets | 52 w/e 02 Dec, 2023 | Gum | Value Sales
[3] Circana Unify+, Sweets (Major Brand), Value Sales, 52we 25.11.23, IRI All Outlets & Discounters
[4] Product of the Year, 2024
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