Big Red (gum)
Encyclopedia
Big Red is a cinnamon
-flavored chewing gum
introduced by the William Wrigley Jr. Company in 1976.
Big Red was available in the UK
and Ireland
in the mid-to-late 1990s, but is no longer available there . It is a popular souvenir for visitors to the US from Ireland or the UK. Big Red was also released in the early-mid 80's in Australia, but was discontinued in late 80's. Some specialty sweets shops, however, do still stock it. It was re-released in 2004 and again in late 2007. It is also available in Germany, Norway, Poland and parts of Sweden; the gum sold in Germany, Norway, Poland and Sweden is not red but white. It is meant to be hot in flavor.
Despite it not being a sugarless gum, in 2003 in the United States, Wrigley's replaced some of the sugar with aspartame
and Ace K
, both artificial sweeteners.
, Big Red had its own commercial jingle
, which was used from 1979 to 1998. The song was composed by Peter Cofield from Sunday Productions in New York City
and sung by Ryan Devereaux. Many of the commercials depicted couples passionately kissing in a romantic setting, and would later be parodied by a number of TV shows, including Saturday Night Live
.
In August 2008, Wrigley teamed with popular singer-songwriter Ne-Yo
to update the classic jingle.
In February 2010, Verizon Wireless
repurposed the classic jingle for a television campaign featuring the company's industry nickname, "Big Red" (a reference to the color of the company's logo).
Cinnamon
Cinnamon is a spice obtained from the inner bark of several trees from the genus Cinnamomum that is used in both sweet and savoury foods...
-flavored chewing gum
Chewing gum
Chewing gum is a type of gum traditionally made of chicle, a natural latex product, or synthetic rubber known as polyisobutylene. For economical and quality reasons, many modern chewing gums use rubber instead of chicle...
introduced by the William Wrigley Jr. Company in 1976.
Big Red was available in the UK
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
and Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
in the mid-to-late 1990s, but is no longer available there . It is a popular souvenir for visitors to the US from Ireland or the UK. Big Red was also released in the early-mid 80's in Australia, but was discontinued in late 80's. Some specialty sweets shops, however, do still stock it. It was re-released in 2004 and again in late 2007. It is also available in Germany, Norway, Poland and parts of Sweden; the gum sold in Germany, Norway, Poland and Sweden is not red but white. It is meant to be hot in flavor.
Despite it not being a sugarless gum, in 2003 in the United States, Wrigley's replaced some of the sugar with aspartame
Aspartame
Aspartame is an artificial, non-saccharide sweetener used as a sugar substitute in some foods and beverages. In the European Union, it is codified as E951. Aspartame is a methyl ester of the aspartic acid/phenylalanine dipeptide. It was first sold under the brand name NutraSweet; since 2009 it...
and Ace K
Acesulfame potassium
Acesulfame potassium is a calorie-free artificial sweetener, also known as Acesulfame K or Ace K , and marketed under the trade names Sunett and Sweet One. In the European Union, it is known under the E number E950...
, both artificial sweeteners.
The "Big Red" song
Like its sister product, Juicy FruitJuicy Fruit
Juicy Fruit is a brand of chewing gum made by the Wm. Wrigley Jr. Company, a U.S. company that since 2008 has been a subsidiary of the privately-held Mars, Incorporated. It was introduced in 1893, and in the 21st century the brand name is recognized by 99 percent of Americans, with total sales in...
, Big Red had its own commercial jingle
Jingle
A jingle is a short tune used in advertising and for other commercial uses. The jingle contains one or more hooks and lyrics that explicitly promote the product being advertised, usually through the use of one or more advertising slogans. Ad buyers use jingles in radio and television...
, which was used from 1979 to 1998. The song was composed by Peter Cofield from Sunday Productions in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
and sung by Ryan Devereaux. Many of the commercials depicted couples passionately kissing in a romantic setting, and would later be parodied by a number of TV shows, including Saturday Night Live
Saturday Night Live
Saturday Night Live is a live American late-night television sketch comedy and variety show developed by Lorne Michaels and Dick Ebersol. The show premiered on NBC on October 11, 1975, under the original title of NBC's Saturday Night.The show's sketches often parody contemporary American culture...
.
In August 2008, Wrigley teamed with popular singer-songwriter Ne-Yo
Ne-Yo
Shaffer Chimere Smith, Jr. , better known by his stage name Ne-Yo, is an American pop and R&B singer-songwriter, record producer, dancer and actor. Beginning his career as a songwriter, Ne-Yo penned the hit "Let Me Love You" for singer Mario...
to update the classic jingle.
In February 2010, Verizon Wireless
Verizon Wireless
Cellco Partnership, doing business as Verizon Wireless, is one of the largest mobile network operators in the United States. The network has 107.7 million subscribers as of 2011, making it the largest wireless service provider in America....
repurposed the classic jingle for a television campaign featuring the company's industry nickname, "Big Red" (a reference to the color of the company's logo).