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© History Oasis
Warner-Lambert’s candy division created Bubblicious to challenge Bubble Yum’s and Dubble Bubble’s dominance in the bubble gum sector. It targeted kids and teenagers with vibrant fruity flavors like Lightning Lemonade and with a formulation designed for larger bubbles. Bubblicious’s debut occurred during the “bubble gum wars” of the late 1970s.
Bubblicous had poor sales in its first year. So Warner-Lambert created animated television commercials showing children blown into fantastic adventures by enormous bubbles. The campaign showed kids flying through space and into magical worlds. These ads reversed Bubblicious’s fortunes. Soon, the brand would become a market leader and create a visual identity that became synonymous with the brand.
In 2005, Cadbury Adams revived the discontinued Lightning Lemonade flavor as “LeBron’s Lightning Lemonade,” reformulated with raspberry notes. The packaging featured a caricature by cartoonist Grey Blackwell. The new campaign rode the coattails of James’s rising NBA stardom to capture younger and diverse demographics.
In the 2000s, the company introduced a sour-flavored gum called “Ink’d” that turned chewers’ tongues blue. Cartoon Network’s fictional “Klik Street Skaters’ Group” promoted the product via commercials targeting teenagers. The blue-tongue effect was a hit with kids but not so much with moms.
In 2007, Bubblicious began offering exclusive flavors in Japan, including Strawberry & Kiwi, Rainbow Mix, and Sour Apple, packaged in collectible wrappers. Japan is known for obsessing over exotic flavors. The company created 16 new flavors for Japan alone.
Mondelez International sold its entire gum portfolio, including Bubblicious, for $1.35 billion in 2023. The transaction transferred manufacturing facilities in Illinois and Poland to Perfetti Van Melle, known for Mentos and Chupa Chups.
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