Perfetti Van Melle (PVM) is set to launch a new customer engagement activation concept at the TFWA World Exhibition in Cannes, which opens tomorrow.

Its purpose is to help increase footfall and underscore the confectionery company’s focus on fun for its key brand Chupa Chups.

“The recovery within our industry is really speeding up and all across the globe we see happy travellers going on an exciting journey again,” said PVM Travel Retail Director Dennis van der Wulp.

“Preparing for 2023 feels like a turning point, leaving the Covid crisis hopefully behind, enjoying the current period of recovery, but especially looking ahead positively to a bright future.”

The new activation concept will be showcased on the PVM stand (Mediterranean Village P8).

As visitors will see, it features a photo booth and product promotion area to encourage customers to engage with the Chupa Chups brand.

They can have their photo taken as one of the Chupa Chups backpack animal family, take away a polaroid memento and enter their contact details to receive the digital photo and share It acfross social media platforms.

“We are always looking at new ways to create customer engagement for our brands; this latest promotional concept for Chupa Chups creates a fun memory and offers something interactive for our travel retail partners,” said PVM International Product Manager, GTR Emma Helleman.

“At PVM we know our sugar confectionery assortment can make a difference when it comes to creating fun and engagement on the shop floor.

“We are confident our new Chupa Chups activation concept will set new levels of engagement and drive footfall.”

Chupa Chups is set to become a key POS tool for increased cash till engagement across PVM’s GTR customer base, according to the company.

“We have an extremely strong presence at the cash till with our domestic business,” said PVM Brand Manager, GTR Femke van Veen.

“We want to replicate that strength at the cash till in partnership with our travel retail customers and driving consumer engagement.”

New travel retail exclusive products for both Chupa Chups and Mentos will also be in the spotlight.

New children’s gifting offers include an extended Chupa Chups plush animal backpack range – a pink flamingo and green dinosaur will join the tiger and elephant designs, all carrying 16 lollipops in strawberry, orange, watermelon and raspberry flavours.

A human-size tiger mascot will be roaming the halls of the TFWA WE, to help promote PVM’s latest Chupa Chups activation.

The Chupa Chups and Looney Tunes kids’ markers and colouring set gift packs will also be a focus.

Chupa Chups began its transition to paper sticks in travel retail in June 2022 and PVM expects the full travel retail range to be available in paper sticks in all stores by the end of September.

Looking at Mentos, there will be the new Mentos Mints and Mentos Gum offers in 2023.

A smaller and curvier pack design is available for the current Mentos Gum bottles: Pure Fresh Fresh Mint and Spearmint.

The range will be expanded with two new flavours: Strawberry (the best-selling fruit flavour) and a fortified Vitamins Gum in citrus flavour for the European market.

Also new for 2023 are Mentos Mints Peppermint and Strawberry flavours, adding to the current range of Mentos Mints 2H Clean Breath SKU – all in their slim tin packaging that’s ideal for travellers on-the-move.

Another new novelty is the Mentos Candy Fan.

The kids’ gift is a playful miniature fan on top of a tube carrying four Mini Mentos flavours: Cola, Orange, Lemon and Strawberry.

Furthermore, the limited edition Mentos Fanta will launch into travel retail with selected European and global distribution in Q4 2022 and further roll out in 2023.

The Gen Z targeted product has been created in partnership with The Coca-Cola Company and is the first global licensing offer from PVM.

“We are aggressively targeting travel retail sales levels of 2019 for 2023. Before the pandemic we knew we needed to address decreasing levels of footfall; now that passenger numbers are up again, we are paying attention to increasing customer footfall in line with returning PAX,” said van Veen.

“We are looking at new ways to be visible on the shop floor, with more focus on cash till opportunities and POS for both Chupa Chups and Mentos.”