Super Nipples from Vigorsol Frisk and Mentos Ice

Australia is the latest country to host the Super Nipples television commercial made for the confectionery company, Perfetti van Melle. The ad, recently released on Australian televisions, features the antics of a young man whose nipples grow extraordinarily long when he sucks on Mentos Ice confectionery.

Ben Graves discovers long nipples

The young man, standing by the esplanade, takes a few pieces of gum and is stunned to discover his nipples growing like worms. A roller skating woman almost falls over as she passes the nipple-featured guy walking on the pavement. He attracts waves and whistles from woman by the esplanade.

Ben catches a frisbee with his right nipple

On the beach he catches a frisbee with his right nipple. He rattles his nipples on a fence. Talking to two lost tourists he uses his nipples to point to spots on a map.

Ben offers gum to a woman

As the sun goes down he hangs his sunglasses on his left nipple. Next thing he’s the DJ in a beach rave, encouraging dancers to wave their fingers around like super nipples. The final scene shows the nippled man in a lift, using his nipples to press the ‘open’ button as a young buxom woman approaches. He offers her a piece of gum and sends a knowing glance to the camera as the lift doors close. The tagline: Cool and Fresh – Ice Mentos

Click on the image below to play the video.

Stuart Alexander, Mentos distributor in Australia, clearly thought it was worth introducing the ad into Australia, despite the high likelihood that the Australian Advertising Standards Bureau will ask for its withdrawal. Juliette Toolin, Mentos Ice brand manager, told Brisbane’s Courier Mail that the ad was intended to be light hearted. “It’s simply a tongue-in-cheek and humorous way of telling people about our product,” she said. “We thought we might get some sort of reaction but we don’t believe this is offensive.”

The original ‘Super Nipples’ ad was made in 2003 to promote Air Action Vigorsol, a refreshing mint on the Italian market (A Blast of Fresh Air – Air Action Vigorsol). It wasn’t long before the ad was banned from Italian televisions. The campaign moved to other Perfetti van Melle products, including the Belgian confectionery, Frisk (Super Cool Frisk – Mean Little Mints).

Super Nipple Credits

Actor in the Super Nipples spot was Ben Graves, who has appeared as rock singer Mark Mitchell in feature film The Devil’s Music.

Vigorsol Super Nipples campaign was developed at BBH London by creative director Nick Gill, art director Rick Brown, copywriter Jon Fox and agency producer Bradley Woodus.

Filming was directed by South African director Erik Van Wyk, then at Harry Nash Films, with producer Amy Appleton-Smith and director of photography Ray Coates. The shot was filmed over four days in the Mediterranean beach resort of Marbella. Van Wyk is now represented by Independent Films.

The crazy nipples were prosthetics developed by animatronics specialists, Jim Henson’s Creature Shop, London. Each day Graves was fitted with a latex body suit that housed the nipple-control device. The nipples were controlled by Creature Shop technicians.

Post production was done at Moving Picture Company, London.

Music

Pure Disco with a Touch of FunkMusic for the Super Nipples ad is “Movin’ and Groovin'” recorded by Danse X-Press on the album, “Pure Disco with a Touch of Funk”, released by LoveCat Music.

Pure Disco With A Touch of Funk at Amazon.com

24 Replies to “Super Nipples from Vigorsol Frisk and Mentos Ice”

  1. I can honestly say that this is the very first time that i have left any type of response to any advert on tv. i must say that i find this advert absolutely discusting, leaving me feeling quite ill every time its on. i really have no idea what extended,wormy nipples have to do with mentos. it definately would not inspire me to run out and buy there product.The best thing mentos could do for their company, is withdraw the advert.

  2. I loved this advert. It’s fun and funky. Made me want to be on the beach and at the club with those people. The song is excellent and I want to download it.

  3. I totally agree with Jill…It’s is the most disgusting Ad I have ever seen, it also makes me sick and I change the channel every time it comes on. Nick, you try and explain it to a four year old, that ugly things like that don’t happen. It should be taken off air.

  4. It should be taken off air. It does Mentos no favours. It has actually made me so angry I would never buy a mentos product.

    As for Nick….Get a brain. Only idiots would not find it offensive.

  5. Haha such a classic ad. When I think about how people complain about ads such as this, putting in so much effort to get them removed because of all the little children who could be affected, I think of the children who actually could benefit from time spent more effectively. And who cares if you never buy a mentos product. That just means there is much more stock available for us who possess more than half a brain.

    Oh, if only idiots would not find it offensive then the ad would not exist… think about that one.

  6. Firstly I love the advert and I too want to download the song.

    This whole debacle reminds me of a segment I once saw on the spoof life style TV show we have in Australia called life support. It was one in which all the viewers had written in and complained about the content of the show. The presenter (Dr. Rudi) offered this piece of advice “If you don’t like what you see then don’t watch. Yes it’s very simple, all you have to do is get up and switch off the television set”

    I’m inclined to agree with him. Instead of sitting around on the internet complaining while your children are plonked in front of the TV why don’t you get up off your lazy behind and take your kids to the park and let them do kid stuff.

    Also the second issue I take with your point of view is that your getting TV for free! How can you complain about something that your not paying for. If someone gave you a free car would you complain that they left an offensive bumper sticker on it? No you wouldn’t.

    As far as I’m concerned you can all take the advice of another Australian TV hero Ronnie Johns (when he plays Chopper Reid) and harden the f*** up.

  7. Advertisers are constantly pushing the limits and, as in this case, making viewers’ lives miserable and diminished. Good taste is a matter of opinion as shown in this chat.

    Nick (who has life, unlike us idiots), Adam (who strangely claims he has more than half a brain – hmmnn…) and Alex (who demonstrates where he is coming from with those asterisks) don’t represent public opinion and can safely be ignored.

    This is a staggeringly stupid ad that attempts to probe the limits, but ends up as an embarrassing exercise in irrelevance.

    Luckily for us near Melbourne the ad has been abandoned in recent weeks. Long may that last!

  8. This ad actually made my mum throw up!!!! i, on the other hand, loved it!!! the fact that it could make some one throw up is amazing!!!! this ad is the best f***ing ad on TV! so is the tooheys new tongue ad. my mum threw up at that ad as well. she has a very weak gag reflex she told me. she also has a very bad temper and throws things at the TV when that ad is on, is HILARIOUS!!! So stop complaining, just coz your an old FART!!! Us young’ens love the ad so go out and get a LIFE!!!

  9. Hi Madi,

    Your Mum is probably heaps smarter than you – and can probably spell better; uses less bad language; and may secretly bemoan the fact that there are so many opinionated young ‘f*rts’ like you around.

    If you found this ad hilarious and love it, maybe you need to go into a retreat to carefully consider that ‘life’ you claim to have.

    I don’t know where to start, and it is not my job, to help anyone – let alone you – to distinguish between good and bad taste. Maybe, or maybe not, you will learn these long lessons for yourself. Unfortunately, as a young ‘un, this is going to take you sometime.

    Anyway, Madi, laugh out loud at all those hilarious moments you see on TV ads. It’s your ‘life’.

  10. I dont think this ad is very nice. its rude and totally uncalled for. it should be taken of air i think it actully is thank goodness for that people finally have some sense in them.

  11. at first i thought the commercial was kinda nasty but when it kept coming on then i started not caring. I don’t understand why people don’t like their kids watching a commercial like this, but in a few short years they are going to allow them to play games like grand theft auto. There have been nastier commercials and i dont see people complaining about them. So if u dont want to see this commercial dont go on the internet and look it up. If you want it off the air then talk to the cable company dont make comments about it on a site where no one cares. And if someone threw up because of this commercial then they need to talk to a doctor because it is not that nasty.

  12. You guys are dumb,
    Great Commercial,
    HAHA so funny hard nipples because mentos is so cool and refreshing. The only people who would not laugh at this are 45 years old and living in their parents house, or they are so nasty lookin that nobody would give a shit if their nipples were 2 inches long or endented inside them.

  13. Jacob,

    You’re completely right! Mentos are great and they’re very refreshing.

    So where did the weird nipples come from to help sell such a terrific lolly? Maybe the company would have been a lot smarter to use your words: ‘Mentos is so cool and refreshing’ – instead of stupidly offending people as shown in this chat.

    By ‘endented’, did you mean indented – or if referring technically to nipples – did you mean ‘inverted’?

    I have interpreted your big HAHA as being a reference to this Ad as being funny ‘peculiar’, rather than funny ‘haha’. If so, you’re right it is very peculiar.

    No-one who has contributed to this chat has mentioned how old they are, but are you suggesting older people might be more offended by this silly Ad than younger people? If this is the case, maybe you need to reflect on why that might be…

    But for all I know, you might be a ‘young at heart’ but deluded 60 year-old.

    Ian

  14. This advert caused a bit of a stir here in Australia as well and the advert wasn’t “pulled” (pun) off the air because of a few complaints. However, I must say that the advert does reflect a particular Aussie humour that sometimes goes over the head of people in other countries. If you go beyond the appearance of the nipples (which upset some people) and look at the unabashed content of the scenarios… including the very last “joke” where he offers a cool mint to a woman in the lift and then looks expectantly at her nipples… it really can cause a laugh. But, as I said… if you don’t have that particular ability to understand Aussie humour then it will look like a dud.

  15. omg… the ad was just a fun thing… dont take it so seriously… america’s humor has really gone down the shitter these days, can anyone take a joke? the music is fun, the nipples are not disgusting…. watch the ad again and really think hard, anyone with a sense of humor and an ass without a stick up it would find it humorous and unique

  16. This is a funny video, no need to take it too seriously, a little humor in the end of the day will lighten the burden for many people :).

  17. ‘Brutus’ and ‘German Romance’, I’m laughing so much about about what you posted, I can hardly type. You find elongated nipples FUNNY? Are you mad?

  18. Elongated nipples? For an Ad?…That certainly isn’t increasing any sales…lol though. My little sister started dancing to the music though(she’s only like 1 1/2)

    I personally say, whoever likes it, good for you. Live a laughing life! Whoever doesn’t, all you’ve got to do is wait a minute or change the channel or TURN IT OFF!!! If it makes you want to…what is it? ‘Turn your head away in disgust’, please do and save us the pain of listening to your not-so-amusing comments. I am not saying I particularly liked it. It’s like that awkward moment when the whole family(including grandparents) happens to be watching TV…and this comes on…

  19. funny as add.. not if ya got massive nipples i guess, that why some people are so offended? perhaps a lesson on my grammer and sence of humour would make me see it differently? haha not. keep on preachin im sure your point of view is the only one that counts

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