Whether you wanted fresh breath or to just blow some bubbles, gum was (and is) there for you. As a kid, the bubbles were definitely more important, but as you hit teenagehood and all of those hormones, soon enough that fresh breath was becoming just as enticing. Those growing up in the ‘90s had a lot of gum options, some of which are still around today, and some of which have gone the way of the VHS — extinct. Below, we’re going to look at the most memorable of those ’90s childhood chewy delights. First, we’ll break your hearts with those that are no longer around, and then we’ll make you feel better with those that are. You ready? Let’s go.
Extinct Like the VHS
Ouch! Gum
Ouch gum was so cool, you guys. It came in this technicolor tin package that was meant to look like an old tin of band-aids, and for some reason that was super awesome to kids in the ‘90s. Each piece of gum had a wrapper that looked sort of like a colorful band-aid, and inside was usually either a Strawberry, Watermelon, or Grape piece of gum.
Bubble Beeper
What was it about the ‘90s that gum needed to be concealed in a container that sort of looked like something else? In addition to Ouch Gum was the Bubble Beeper, which came in a container that was supposed to look like the ubiquitous beeper of the ‘90s. Some of the containers were hard plastic and had a hook on the back that could hang on to your pants, so you could carry around your gum like some kind of kid gum dealer. Each piece of gum also had a wrapper that featured a beeper-themed phrase, some of which you could even write on if you were sharing (or selling) your gum.
Bubble Jug
Now, there are different versions of this type of gum that exist today, but the original Bubble Jug is no longer produced. It was basically this jug of powder that would turn into gum inside your mouth. That’s some high-tech stuff! How much powder was too much powder? Does anyone really know?
Carefree
It’s true, Carefree sugarless gum is no longer made. The sugar-free fad was a big thing in the ‘90s, and Carefree gum was certainly no stranger to this fad — it’s whole thing was that it was sugarless. Personally, I was particularly fond of the pink and blue flavors, though despite their contention that “The Flavor Lasts” in their commercials (see above), I always remember the flavor seeming to fade rather quickly.
Still Poppin'
Big Red
Look, do people actually like cinnamon gum? Apparently some people do, because Big Red is still around today in all of its cinnamon glory. What made it so memorable in the ‘90s, though, was the very catchy jingle that accompanied the commercials (see above video). Yes, we remember the tune, but did any of you actually try the gum?
Bubble Tape
Bubble Tape is still around today in all of its amazing tape-like-ness. Six feet of bubblegum wrapped up in a spiral, all contained in a circular plastic “tape” dispenser the size of a hockey puck. This gum was huge for kids in the early ‘90s, thanks in part to commercials like the above which really targeted kids who were sick of pesky adults with the slogan “for you, not them.” And it worked. We all wanted Bubble Tape.
Big League Chew
Big League Chew was first introduced in the 1980s, but it still was going strong in the ‘90s, particularly among those who were either playing baseball, or those who were forced to watch their siblings play baseball. The origins of this shredded style of gum, though, are just as gross as you may think — it was modeled after the chewing tobacco that many professional baseball players would chew.
Winterfresh
Introduced as an alternative to the Big Red brand, Wrigley brought Winterfresh to the market in 1994. It was all about icy cool breath… that lasts (see commercial above). If you had a date coming up in the mid-90s, then you probably bought a pack or two of Winterfresh gum.
Fruit Stripe Gum
“Yipes, Stripes!” Yes, that was the simple but effective ‘90s slogan for Fruit Stripe gum featuring their zebra mascot (watch the commercial above to see it in all its glory). This gum is all about the intense fruity flavor packed into the striped gum whose wrappers are also temporary tattoos (we won’t judge if you really just wanted the tattoos). The gum was first invented in the 1960s, but really came into popularity in the ‘90s.
Bubble Yum
The first soft chewing gum ever created, Bubble Yum has been around since 1975, and was first introduced by the Life Savers Company. It was totally the gum to get if you wanted to have some soft gum and a better chance of blowing bubbles, even if it didn’t last very long. Keep it poppin’ with the above commercial featuring none other than Leonardo DiCaprio hocking some Bubble Yum.
Ice Breakers Gum
Ice Breakers first came out in 1996, and back then it came in a stick form and not the little cubes you can get today. If you wanted to be hip and have icy fresh breath, then this cool new gum was definitely the one to get. Definitely a competitor to the similar Winterfresh, the Ice Breakers commercial above loved to tout its little minty bits in the gum. So fancy.
Buy some of your ’90s bubblegum favorites below, and let us know in the comments which ones you miss the most!
- Big League Chew was created by Portland Mavericks left-handed pitcher Rob Nelson and bat boy Todd Field, who worked with fellow Maverick and former New York Yankee All-Star Jim Bouton to pitch the gum to the Wrigley Company (longtime owners of the Chicago Cubs).
- In 1996, Fruit Stripe gave five cents from the sale of each Jumbo Pack and Variety Multipack to the World Wildlife Fund, totaling about $100,000, for the preservation of endangered animals and their habitats.
- In 1977, rumors spread that Bubble Yum’s softness was secretly due to the addition of spider eggs. Full-page rebuttals were printed in major newspapers (including the New York Times) to dispel the rumor and restore public confidence.
- The first gum to ever be commercially produced is Dubble Bubble, which was created by Walter Diemer in 1928. He only made the gum pink-colored because that’s the only dye he had available at the time of production. Today, when you think of gum, you think of pink thanks to Diemer.
- Some form of chewing gum has been around in many different cultures throughout the generations, but modern chewing gum can be traced back to 1848 when John B. Curtis developed and sold the first commercial chewing gum called The State of Maine Pure Spruce Gum, which was a version of the Native Americans’ tradition of chewing resin made from the sap of spruce trees.
- Big League Chew was created by Portland Mavericks left-handed pitcher Rob Nelson and bat boy Todd Field, who worked with fellow Maverick and former New York Yankee All-Star Jim Bouton to pitch the gum to the Wrigley Company (longtime owners of the Chicago Cubs).
- In 1996, Fruit Stripe gave five cents from the sale of each Jumbo Pack and Variety Multipack to the World Wildlife Fund, totaling about $100,000, for the preservation of endangered animals and their habitats.
- In 1977, rumors spread that Bubble Yum’s softness was secretly due to the addition of spider eggs. Full-page rebuttals were printed in major newspapers (including the New York Times) to dispel the rumor and restore public confidence.
- The first gum to ever be commercially produced is Dubble Bubble, which was created by Walter Diemer in 1928. He only made the gum pink-colored because that’s the only dye he had available at the time of production. Today, when you think of gum, you think of pink thanks to Diemer.
- Some form of chewing gum has been around in many different cultures throughout the generations, but modern chewing gum can be traced back to 1848 when John B. Curtis developed and sold the first commercial chewing gum called The State of Maine Pure Spruce Gum, which was a version of the Native Americans’ tradition of chewing resin made from the sap of spruce trees.
