| Momints | ||
| Formal name | Momints | |
| Classification | Breath mint | |
| Description | Liquid mint | |
| Form | Sphere | |
| Displacement | 33.5mm3 (approx.) | |
| Mass | 0.06g (approx.) | |
| Ingredients | Medium chain triglycerides, flavor, gelatin, sorbitol, glycerin, acesulfame potassium, sucralose, aspartame, thaumatin, color. | |
| Nutrition Information | Per mint: Calories 0, Fat 0g, Sodium 0g, Carbohydrates 0g, Sugars 0g, Sugar Alcohol 0g, Protein 0g. | |
| Active Ingredients | None | |
| Flavors | Peppermint, Cinnamon, WinterBurst | |
| Sugar Free? | Yes | |
| Manufacturer | Yosha | Enterprises |
|---|---|---|
| Year introduced | 2003 | |
| Slogans / Taglines | Take a/Seize the/Enjoy the Momint. | |
| Related products | None | |
| Hazards | food coloring, phenylalanine, eye contact hazard, dispenser is choking hazard. | |
Shurman founded Yosha! after receiving a payout when Pfizer bought Warner-Lambert. He developed Momints as a product initially targeting smokers. An iridescent, translucent sphere resembling a glass bead, the innovative product pioneered the category of liquid-filled mints. Momints' liquid mint solution (not true mint, as it contained no mint oil) was encased in a soluble gelatin shell. Biting the shell released the liquid contents.
The "Momints" brand name was chosen as a play on "moments"; advertising tag lines included "take a Momint", "seize the Momint", and "enjoy the Momint." The company used PR firm Vorticom after initially struggling to gain media attention.
The liquid mints niche pioneered by Momints was soon populated by similar products including Ice Breakers Liquid Ice from Hershey and Hiya Mints from Webb Candy. Yosha! responded to Hershey's entry with a snarky statement characterizing Hershey as a "Johnny-come-lately Goliath" whose ad campaign featuring "bubble-headed celebrity siblings who feign disputes over whether a product is liquid or ice" (teen star Hilary Duff and her sister Hailey were featured in the Hershey ad campaign) was of no interest to Momint's "intellectually gifted and sophisticated consumers".
In a marketing move for Christmas of 2004, Yosha! offered free Momints to mall Santas, the putative point being to prevent child-offending halitosis among this cohort. According to Tony Shurman, the result was a spike in sales as well as long-term brand awareness.
By 2005, Momints were the top selling mint at 7-Eleven and were garnering $15 million in annual revenue. In 2005, Yosha! set up a German operation and began selling Momints in Germany.