Remember when chewing gum was all about fun?

Growing up in the 1970s, I was mesmerized by commercials featuring people blowing massive bubbles with Hubba Bubba. In some of the ads, cowboys had “gum fights” and the Hubba Bubba hero’s bubble popped all across his face — but miraculously didn’t stick. The townspeople gasped in unison.

Double Bubble came with tiny comics (as it did before I was born). Big League Chew let you pretend to be a baseball player with shredded gum in a pouch, unabashedly mimicking chewing tobacco.

The coolest kids could blow a bubble inside a bubble. Or snap their gum super loud.

Then there was Trident – the odd one out.

“Sugarless gum that tastes good?” we wondered, doubtfully. Their famous slogan claimed “4 out of 5 dentists recommend sugarless gum for their patients who chew gum.”

(We were baffled by that stubborn fifth dentist.)

Fast forward to today. Walk down the gum aisle and you’ll see a complete transformation:

• Sugar-free is the default
• Artificial sweetener claims dominate
• “Natural” ingredients are highlighted
• Teeth whitening benefits promoted
• Fresh breath is a table-stakes promise
• Flavors tout their longevity

What happened?

As consumers became more health-conscious, gum makers had to pivot. The fun didn’t sell anymore. Adult concerns took over.

For product makers, it’s a clear reminder: Your marketing must evolve with your customers’ priorities.

Sometimes that means completely reframing how you position your product. What was once about playful bubble-blowing became about oral health and sugar avoidance.

What other product categories have seen their marketing completely flip? Think about how bottled water went from convenience to status symbol to environmental concern.

The market never stops moving. Neither should your strategy.

Laurier

P.S. Still curious about that fifth dentist? Some say it reflected the percentage who recommended no gum at all. (Yet the message said, “for patients who chew gum.”) Or possibly the dentist who feared a loss in billings if this sugarless thing caught on. But I like to think that doc was just being contrarian. There’s always one…

P.P.S. My grandfather was a dentist and always handed Trident gum and Trident mints out at Halloween. He also got cases of them dirt cheap from the manufacturer. It paid to be one of the Supportive Four.