MENTOS THE FRESHMAKER

A rarity: pure, unself-conscious camp. The Dutch candy's campaign, with its '70s-style Euro-pop jingle and corny acting, irked as many as it pleased. Nevertheless, the spots boosted Mentos' visibility in America, especially among Gen-Xers with a taste for goofiness. Trend-setting ads that even inspired an MTV Video Music Award winner—the Foo Fighters' "Big Me"—they're prized for what video director Jesse Peretz calls their air of "total lobotomized happiness."