Mentos and creative commerce agency The Idea Shed have launched a new music discovery campaign, Fresh Sounds, aimed at supporting emerging Australian artists through a mix of digital activations and high-profile brand integrations.
Running nationally from July to October 2025, Fresh Sounds is the latest evolution of the Mentos Yes to Fresh platform. Developed in collaboration with Vinyl Media, Havas Media and Havas Play, the campaign swaps traditional advertising for cultural relevance, giving a stage to artists rarely seen in the mainstream.
At the heart of the campaign is a purpose-built Fresh Sounds Portal, where local musicians can upload their tracks directly to Rolling Stone Australia via a branded Mentos platform. The content feeds into the *Fresh Sounds Hub*, a curated online showcase spotlighting undiscovered talent.
The creative execution reimagines Mentos as a sound brand, turning the iconic dragees into AirPods and soundwaves across print, digital and out-of-home. Tram takeovers in Sydney and Melbourne bring the concept to life on the streets.
“Fresh Sounds isn’t just a campaign; it’s our promise to back emerging Australian talent in a real way,” said Nikolah Gibson, Senior Brand Manager, Perfetti Van Melle. “With Yes to Fresh at the heart of our brand, we’re proud to create opportunities for the next wave of artists to be seen, heard and celebrated.”
John Volckman, Partner and Executive Creative Director at The Idea Shed, added: “We set out to create a campaign built for genuine music discovery. By turning Mentos into a symbol of sound that’s bold, vibrant and full of flavour, we created a campaign that doesn’t just speak to youth culture, it amplifies it.”
The campaign responds to a harsh reality in the music industry: more than 80 per cent of artists on Spotify don’t crack 1,000 monthly listeners. Fresh Sounds seeks to change that, turning branded content into a genuine platform for recognition and discovery.
The campaign was delivered by a full creative team from The Idea Shed, with production by Chronicle Studios. Media strategy and partnerships were handled by Havas Media and Havas Play.
Credits:
The Idea Shed:
John Volckman Partner/ECD
Karin Andréasson Head of Growth
Mia Gall Account Director
Sophie Fergusson Account Executive
Adrian Moore Head of Creative Experience
Paul Fiore Senior Creative
John Fairley Design Director
Claire Hughes Senior Designer
Gail Ma Finished Artist
Chronicle Studios:
Dale Bennett Head of Production
Isaac Brown Photographer
Beth Carr Producer
Patrick Zaczkiewicz Stylist
Kristyan Low H&MU
Elise Healy Retoucher
Mentos:
Michael Puglisi Country Manager – Australia & New Zealand
Nikolah Gibson Senior Brand Manager
Agency Partners:
Strategy and Media: Havas Media
Partnership Management: Havas Play
Publisher Partner: Vinyl Media Group