by Arie Letzter

Chewed gum may prove extremely useful in problematic situations

1. From tree to mouth – In Maine, 1850, John Curtis established the first production factory of chewing material which was extracted from trees that grew in the area. Several years later, Thomas Adams commercially created the first “Chickle” gum. It was named “Black Jack” and had a licorice flavor.

2. Why does the ID card of Bazooka state “Pink” in the “Color” blank?

In 1928 a young accountant (then 23) from the state of New York, Walter Diemer, invented bubble gum as we know it today. Since he only had a pink color available, he had to use it, creating the first pink bubble gum which remains a popular color to this day.

Diemer, who lived a long life, told a reporter in 1996: “Everything happened by accident. I did one thing and ended up with something else – something with bubbles.” All this took place during the 1920s, when every factory worker engaged simultaneously in tasks that were not in their area of professional responsibility.

3. Blowing one’s bazy – The name “bazooka”, a global brand synonymous with bubble gum, came about in a naming competition organized by Topps in 1938. It is a declension of the expression “blowing one’s bazy”, which means “blowing the trumpet”, as well as “bragging”. In the 1950s, the tales of “Joe and his gang” were inserted into the Bazooka wraps.

Here in Israel, Lieber, (a company acquired by Elite in the 1970s) bought the franchise to produce Bazooka in Israel.

4. Good for your teeth – The first sales promotion for chewing gum was conducted in 1895 by an American pharmacist who published a statement: “Chewing gum prevents tooth cavities and sweetens your breath.” He also stated: “Gum cleans your teeth.” He called the chewing gum he developed “dentin”, which derived from “dental” and “hygienic”. Years later, a large, well-known chewing gum company came out with the brand “Dentin”.

5. Above all expectations – In 1888 Thomas Adams launched the first Tutti Frutti flavored gum, which is one of the most popular flavors to-date.

Adams sold the chewing gums to a pharmacy near him, telling the pharmacist that in his estimation they would be sold within three months. All gums, down to the last one, were sold the same day. Years later he sold his factory to Warner-Lambert, today a giant gum manufacturer, and the Tutti Frutti chewing gum is still being produced under the Nostalgia Gums brand.

6. From curiosity to business – In 1890 William Wrigley entered the chewing gum business, launching the Spearmint and Juicy Fruit flavors. The Wrigley family’s entry into the chewing gum field started from curiosity. Young William Wrigley began working with his father, who was a soap manufacturer. As a bonus, he gave baking powder to the soap buyers.

When he saw that the business was evolving, he established a baking powder factory, giving shoppers chewing gum as a bonus. Once he realized that he was quickly running out of chewing gum, an idea popped in his mind to set up a gum factory which eventually became the global chewing gum empire as we know it today.

7. Life savior – Chewed gum may prove extremely useful in problematic situations, like the story of the British plane crossing the Atlantic Ocean and its pilot being saved by gum that filled a hole in the plane radiator (bearing in mind that parts of the plane were made of fabric and wood).

Thanks to this action, the use of chewed gum coined an idiom which entered the technical lexicon in English: Already Been Chewed = ABC (used after chewing).

8. Functional – The first functional gum was invented in 1880 by a pharmacist from Ohio. He inserted a substance that helps the digestive system (pepsin) in his gum. Chewing gum is still used today as a “carrying platform” for all kinds of functional substances that assist various activities in the body.

9. World record – The largest bubble made out of a gum and documented in the Guinness records is 23 inches = 58 cm by an American woman in 1994.

10. Omnipresent – Chewing gum is also known as “the unexposed spy”: It is found everywhere, a silent partner in meetings, under a table or on the side of a chair, under your shoes, sticking with you wherever possible, always true to its setting and refusing to come off no matter where it happens to be.

11. Once stuck, how do we remove it?

Chewing gum stuck to hair can be removed with peanut butter. Chewing gum stuck to the pants should be placed in the freezer (without the person wearing them, of course).

Chewing gum thrown out of the window and stuck to the car – wait patiently for it to cool off and then remove it.

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Read this article in Strauss Group

 

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