UNTIL now, those responsible for Pan Drops have relied on their Scottish heritage and traditional manufacturing methods to help them make a mint.

Now it's not only gloves off but everything else as well as John Millar and Sons, the 154-year-old West Lothian confectionery company, is bidding to increase demand for the sweet with a slightly more raunchy sales pitch.

Yesterday at the Edinburgh Odeon, Millar's, with the help of male ushers dressed only in boxer shorts throwing Pan Drops into the audience, revealed all at the premiere of The Full Minty, a cinema ad that owes its inspiration to the award-winning film.

Gordon McKay, Millar's sales and marketing manager, described The Full Minty, which features a male stripper, as ''a bit of fun''. He said founder John Millar once said that sweets were first tasted by the eye.