“Hey! You look great today! You’re gonna slay!” Those are the kind of words that have an energizing effect on someone who might be going through a rough time.
But while similar compliments like, “Ang taray naman ng outfit mo,” may lighten up an otherwise stressful day, what Filipinos usually tell each other are: “Tumataba ka ah!”; “Ba’t wala pang jowa?”
Customized packaging
The makers of top candy mint brand Mentos launched on Nov. 9 a promotion about believing that the world is a better place when people connect.
The limited-edition Mentos CompliMentos rolls come in customized packaging with short, sweet, witty compliments written on the wrappers.
The promo features 16 compliments, including: “You fill me with excite-mint!”; “You are the one I chews”; “You sweeten up my life”; “You made my day.”
Mentos collaborated with Paulo Avelino and Gabbi Garcia on a social experiment video—the celebrities separately posing as static ads at a mall, trying to grab the attention of passersby by paying them compliments.
It culminates with Paulo and Gabbi revealing they are really inside the mall, personally handing out CompliMentos and more compliments to people.
“What I learned was that people were shy and embarrassed at first but they were thrilled to receive compliments and nice comments. They lost their shyness,” said Paulo at the CompliMentos launch.
“The compliments served as ways to connect with them, said Gabbi. “What I saw was how they were not just flattered but touched by the compliments.”
The video also showed that compliments make for a good conversation starter.
“Mentos is about making Fresh Connections, and with Mentos CompliMentos, our latest limited-edition roll, we wanted to be the enabler or catalyst for these moments through the tangible manifestation of our brand positioning,” said Mentos brand manager Denise Opulencia. “Compliments don’t need to be made of big words. They can be something as simple as, ‘You have a nice smile,’ or ‘You are kind.’
“Mentos came up with this campaign to help people make connections, meet new friends and learn how to accept compliments graciously.”
In the midst of pervasive negativity, including harsh language, in everyday life, it’s a breath of freshness to hear people exchanging compliments, no matter how simple.
Who knows, those short and sweet words may inspire the receiver to do something great.
Mentos CompliMentos rolls are available on shopee.ph/perfetti vanmelle_phils.