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Certs

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Certs Classic Mints
Product typeBreath mint
OwnerMondelez International
CountryUnited States
Introduced1956; 68 years ago (1956)
Discontinued2018; 6 years ago (2018)
Previous owners
Tagline
  • "Two Mints in One"
  • "The Right Amount of Mint"

Certs was a brand of breath mint that was noted for the frequent use of "two mints in one" in its marketing. The original "classic mints" were disc-shaped without a hole and sold in roll packaging similar to Life Savers and Polo. Certs was one of the first mints to be nationally marketed in the United States and has been a fixture at American drug stores and convenience stores since its debut on the market in 1956. It was discontinued in 2018, possibly for having partially hydrogenated cottonseed oil, which is not allowed as an ingredient in food sold in the United States since then.[1]

History

Certs Classic Mints were developed by American Chicle and introduced into the North American market in 1956.[2] The "Certs" name originated from its approval by Good Housekeeping (as in "certified by Good Housekeeping"), a magazine known for their "Seal of Approval" on tested products.[3] In 1962, the company was acquired by Warner-Lambert[4]. Within Warner-Lambert, confectionary brands, which included Certs, Chiclets, Dentyne, Halls, and Trident, were placed into its new Adams division (named after the American Chicle founder).[5] In 1988, sugar-free Certs Mini-Mints sweetened by Nutrasweet were introduced as a Tic Tac competitor.[6] In 1997, Certs Cool Mint Drops were introduced in response to Altoids' rapid growth during the 90s.[7] Pfizer acquired Warner-Lambert in 2000.[4] Citing that confections is a "noncore" business,[5] Pfizer sold its Adams portfolio to Cadbury for $4.2 billion[8] in 2002, beating Nestle in a bid war.[9][10] The Certs brand was discontinued in 2018.

Description

Certs were classified as mints, but they actually contained no oils of any mint plant. Instead, as has long been advertised, the mints contain "Retsyn," a trademarked name for a mixture of copper gluconate, partially hydrogenated cottonseed oil, and flavoring. It is the copper gluconate in Retsyn which gives Certs its signature green flecks.

Certs were not a true disks, but exhibits a pronounced bulge emerging from the edge, subsiding to form a depression at the center. Certs were not always this shape. Prior to the current form, they were more regular discs with beveled edges. Each Certs was embossed on one side with the legend "CERTS RETSYN" in letters about 3 mm tall, approximately midway between center and edge, each letter oriented away from the center.

Variations

Certs Classic Mints were available in assorted fruit, cinnamon, peppermint, spearmint, and wintergreen.

Certs Mini-Mints, and later as Certs Powerful Mints, were small Tic-Tac-like mints available in peppermint, spearmint, and wintergreen.

Certs Cool Mint Drops, described as a "breath drop", were medium sized oval-shaped mints. They came in flavors named "cinnamint", "freshmint", and peppermint.

Advertising

In the 1960s and 1970s, Certs was heavily advertised on American television with a famous campaign featuring two attractive young people earnestly arguing over the proper classification of the mints. The one participant would assert, "It’s a breath mint!" The other would assay a rebuttal by stating, "It’s a candy mint!" This taxonomic dilemma would finally be resolved by the unseen announcer, who would achieve synthesis by explaining that Certs was "Two, two, two mints in one!" Saturday Night Live lampooned the ads with a fictitious product called "Shimmer", with Gilda Radner's argument "It's a floor wax!" vs. Dan Aykroyd's "It's a dessert topping, you cow!" being resolved by announcer Chevy Chase's declaration that "New Shimmer's a floor wax and a dessert topping!".[11] Indeed, the phrase "Two, two, two [insert almost any word or short phrase here] in one" remained an American idiomatic expression into the 21st century.[citation needed].

In 1999, the United States Customs Service classified Certs as a candy mint for tariff purposes, since candy was taxed differently from oral hygiene products. In the ensuing suit before the United States Court of International Trade, Cadbury introduced expert testimony that Certs stimulate the flow of saliva, thus flushing bad odors from the mouth, and that its flavors and oils mask bad breath. But the court ruled that, since Certs did not contain anti-bacterial ingredients, they were, indeed, simply a candy mint. This ruling was, however, overturned at the Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, making Certs legally a breath mint.[12]

See also

References

  1. ^ "Final Determination Regarding Partially Hydrogenated Oils (Removing Trans Fat)". US Food & Drug Administration. US FDA. 20 February 2020. Retrieved 27 May 2020.
  2. ^ "The History of Breath Mints". Retrieved 2023-07-14.
  3. ^ "How they came up with the name Certs". San Diego Reader. Retrieved 2023-07-14.
  4. ^ a b "2000: Pfizer joins forces with Warner-Lambert". Retrieved 2023-07-14.
  5. ^ a b "Cadbury Adams USA LLC". Retrieved 2023-07-14.
  6. ^ "Breath Mint". Retrieved 2023-07-14.
  7. ^ "Mint Marketers Chase Altoids". Retrieved 2023-07-14.
  8. ^ "Cadbury chews up $4.2bn gum maker". Retrieved 2023-07-14.
  9. ^ "Cadbury secure deal to buy Adams". Retrieved 2023-07-14.
  10. ^ "Cadbury to Acquire Adams". Retrieved 2023-07-14.
  11. ^ Shimmer Ad – Saturday Night Live on YouTube
  12. ^ "No. 04-1489". Warner-Lambert Company v. United States. United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit; caselaw.findllaw.com. May 11, 2005. Retrieved August 31, 2012.
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