• Mentos Fresh Mint and Spearmint 10-piece Gum
• Mentos Cool Mints
• Bubblicious Gummy Gum
• Airheads Xtremes Mega Bites

We touched base with Jen Redmond, gum and mints category marketing director at Perfetti Van Melle, to learn more about the products and how they were developed.

Liz Parker Kuhn: Can you please talk a bit about the Mentos portfolio—the brand had new innovations released at Sweets & Snacks Expo this year. How did the idea for each new innovation come about?

Additionally, Mentos Cool Mints is a new flavor for the brand, differing from its Mentos Fresh Mint. Early consumer feedback has been positive—did PVM do consumer taste tests for this flavor?

Jen Redmond: Mentos was first introduced to the U.S. market in the early 1970s in the original chewy dragée form and has since expanded to a variety of gum, candy, and mint offerings, including two exciting new innovations we debuted at this year’s Sweets & Snacks Expo.

Mentos Cool Mints are a new form of hard mints delivering sugar‑free, long‑lasting intense freshness in a convenient, portable tin, ideal for everyday carry and on‑the‑go occasions. Each mint features a distinctive triangular, three-layer design with texture ridges and green tea extract for a uniquely refreshing experience.

The idea came about because despite the increasing need for consumers to seek fresh breath, the mint category has been surprisingly quiet in innovation (excluding new flavors) and household penetration continues to be below the gum category. We believe new forms and flavors of mints will bring excitement and unlock trial with consumers by meeting unmet needs. The concept of Mentos Cool mints came from building upon the success of Mentos Gum intense freshening that consumers love but in a new, discreet three-layer mint form delivering an experience that is completely new in the category.  

Early consumer feedback for Mentos Cool Mints has been strongly positive. According to a Directions Research consumer use survey, 72% of consumers indicated intent to purchase after tasting, with Cool Mints scoring higher than leading competitors across purchase frequency, value, uniqueness, and overall liking.

We also recently expanded our best-selling Mentos Gum Fresh Mint and Spearmint gum flavors with an irresistible new 10‑piece pack size. Designed to fit easily into purses, pockets, or backpacks, the compact bottle delivers fresh flavor anytime, anywhere. After a successful launch in select stores and a lot of love shared from consumers, the new size will be available to retailers nationwide this winter.

LPK: PVM acquired Bubblicious in 2023. What has it done with the brand since then? I see its Bubble Gum and Watermelon flavors were relaunched in 2025.

JR: We were thrilled to bring Bubblicious into the Perfetti Van Melle portfolio in 2023. It’s one of the most recognizable bubble gum brands in the U.S., with a strong legacy and a loyal fan base. Our focus has been on reconnecting consumers with what they loved most about the brand while setting it up for future growth. Bubblicious plays an important role in driving point of market entry in the category and for our refreshment portfolio.

The first step was bringing back two fan-favorite flavors: Original and Watermelon. We relaunched them in 2025 with updated formulas and refreshed packaging that stays true to Bubblicious’ fun, bold personality while helping the brand appeal to shoppers and stand out on the shelf. The response has been encouraging, and we’re excited about continuing to build on Bubblicious’ iconic place in the gum category.

LPK: Bubblicious just released its Gummy Gum, an innovation that brings chewy candy and bubble gum together in one piece. What did the innovation process look like for this, to come up with the dual-texture experience?

JR: For Bubblicious, we want to keep pushing the boundaries of what bubble gum can be, especially for younger consumers who are always looking for new and exciting experiences. When we started exploring our next innovation, we knew we had to think outside of the bubble and create an experience that doesn’t exist today. We saw a clear opportunity in the growing appeal of multi-texture and multi-flavor candy.

That insight led to Gummy Gum, a first-of-its-kind experience that combines a soft, chewy gummy layer with the classic chew and bubble-blowing fun of bubble gum. The result is a unique dual-texture, dual-flavor experience that delivers something completely new while still staying true to what people love most about Bubblicious: big bubbles, bold flavor and an element of fun. It’s an innovation that brings together two experiences in one piece.

JR: It’s always a thrill to have a product we think is strong enough to compete in the Most Innovative New Product Awards at Sweets & Snacks, and it truly takes a team effort. While the nomination process is fairly straightforward, the product itself would not have come to fruition without multiple teams across R&D, Packaging, Supply Chain, New Product Development, Sales, Commercial Excellence, Project Management, Marketing, and our Operations teams, and beyond. And because we must submit samples prior to the Expo for judges, our vice president of marketing hand delivered the samples to Las Vegas in his luggage—talk about precious cargo!

LPK: Any other products in the works for Mentos, Bubblicious, or other PVM brands?

JR: We're constantly innovating what candy can do by looking at new flavors, formats, and consumer trends to inspire what's next across our brands. While don’t have any details to share on future products, we're excited about the momentum we're building with recent launches such as Bubblicious Gummy Gum, Trident Cotton Candy, and Airheads Mega Bites, and there's more to come.

LPK: What’s your personal favorite PVM product to enjoy?

JR: My personal favorite PVM product is Cinnamon Mentos!

Perfetti Van Melle is on the current Candy Industry “Global Top 100 Candy Companies” list. Click here to view the current “Global Top 100” rankings.