Way back when I was a kid, there was an urban legend floating around my elementary school about pop rocks and soda. If you consumed them together, the story went, your head would explode.
But now it appears that the playground myth of my childhood has morphed into a full-blown science experiment cum meme. It’s grabbed the attention of scientists, bloggers, the mainstream media, and now the corporate world.
It all started a few months ago when some kids decided to put some Mentos into a bottle of Coca-Cola and videotape the results. The ensuing geyser fast became one of the most popular videos on YouTube, spawned thousands of copycat experiments, and even made its way to coverage on NPR, where scientists made attempts to explain the phenomenon.
The slow buzz around this meme has been phenomenal, so it’s only natural that the products involved would attempt to hope on board. But while Coca-Cola has been trying to take control of the meme, Mentos has taken a more laid-back approach. By jumping on the bandwagon instead of having a command and control mentality, Mentos is the clear winner when it comes to this meme.
{ 0 comments… add one now }