Big Red
An American cinnamon-flavored chewing-gum brand recognized for its red color and intense, long-lasting flavor.
Last updated August 25, 2026
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Overview
Big Red is an American chewing-gum brand introduced by the William Wrigley Jr. Company in 1975. Unlike the soft-drink namesake sometimes associated with the phrase “Big Red,” this brand is a cinnamon-flavored gum whose defining characteristics are its red appearance and deliberately hot, warming taste. It became part of Wrigley’s broader portfolio of strongly differentiated gum brands and was positioned around an assertive flavor experience rather than a conventional mint or fruit profile. The brand’s best-known advertising platform was the “Kiss a Little Longer” jingle, used from 1979 through 1998. The campaign typically showed couples kissing for an unusually long time, turning the gum’s flavor and fresh-breath proposition into a humorous romantic scenario. The advertising became sufficiently recognizable to be parodied in popular television culture. In 2008, Wrigley worked with singer-songwriter Ne-Yo on an updated version of the classic song, linking the heritage platform with a contemporary music personality. Big Red has had a notably international but uneven distribution history. It was sold in the United Kingdom and Ireland during much of the 1990s before being withdrawn at the end of that decade. The product was also introduced in Australia in the early or middle part of the 1980s, discontinued there near the decade’s end, and subsequently re-released in 2004 and again around the end of 2007. It has also been available in a range of European, North American, and Oceanian markets. In some markets, including Germany, Norway, and Poland, the gum has been sold in a white rather than red form. Sugar-free versions exported from Poland have also served some international markets, including the United Kingdom. In the United States, Wrigley altered the formulation of some regular Big Red products in 2003 by replacing part of the sugar with the artificial sweeteners aspartame and acesulfame potassium. This change did not turn the entire brand into a sugar-free line, but reflected the company’s use of formulation adjustments within a conventional sugared-gum product. Big Red has also participated in sports sponsorship, including sponsorship connected with Wrigley’s NASCAR activities and Juan Pablo Montoya’s No. 42 car during 2007 and 2008. The brand has maintained cultural visibility beyond advertising. It was referenced in the 2006 film Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby, appeared as a period-detail object in an episode of WandaVision despite that episode’s 1960s setting predating the product’s 1975 launch, and was used as a plot element in the second season finale of Poker Face. These appearances have reinforced Big Red’s status as a recognizable American confectionery brand with a nostalgic association, even though its distribution and market presence have varied over time.
History
Big Red was introduced in 1975 by the William Wrigley Jr. Company as a cinnamon chewing gum. Its product identity was unusual within the gum category: the gum was red in its principal United States presentation and delivered a notably hot cinnamon flavor instead of the more familiar mint, fruit, or neutral profiles. The combination gave the brand a clear sensory and visual distinction and helped it become one of Wrigley’s recognizable named products. The brand’s principal historical advertising platform was “Kiss a Little Longer.” Used from 1979 to 1998, the jingle was composed by Peter Cofield of Sunday Productions in New York and performed by Ryan Devereaux. Commercials commonly portrayed couples kissing in romantic settings for an exaggerated length of time, often ending with one person rushing after a departing vehicle. The recurring story structure transformed a functional chewing-gum message into a memorable piece of popular advertising. The campaign was later parodied by television programs, including Saturday Night Live. Wrigley revisited the property in August 2008 by partnering with Ne-Yo on an updated version of the song. Big Red’s international history has been characterized by launches, withdrawals, and reintroductions rather than uniform global distribution. The brand was sold in the United Kingdom and Ireland during the latter part of the 1990s, but was withdrawn from those markets at the end of the decade. Its availability in the United Kingdom and Ireland subsequently contributed to a souvenir association among visitors from those countries traveling to the United States. In Australia, Big Red appeared during the early to middle part of the 1980s, was discontinued near the end of that decade, and returned in 2004 and again around the end of 2007. The gum has also been reported in Mexico, Luxembourg, Belgium, Latvia, Norway, Poland, Slovenia, New Zealand, and parts of Sweden. Market adaptations have included color and sweetener differences. Big Red sold in Germany, Norway, and Poland has at times been white rather than red. Sugar-free variants exported from Poland have been distributed to other countries, including the United Kingdom. In the United States, Wrigley’s 2003 formulation change replaced some of the sugar in certain regular Big Red products with aspartame and acesulfame potassium. The change represented a product formulation decision within the established brand rather than a complete conversion of Big Red to a sugar-free product. The brand was also used in sponsorship and entertainment. Alongside other Wrigley gum products, Big Red supported former NASCAR team Chip Ganassi Racing and sponsored Juan Pablo Montoya’s No. 42 car in 2007 and 2008. In popular culture, Big Red was named in the 2006 film Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby. It later appeared as a prop in the second episode of WandaVision, whose 1960s setting creates a historical continuity error because Big Red was not introduced until 1975. The product was also a plot point in the final episode of the second season of Poker Face. These references have helped preserve the brand’s nostalgic visibility even where retail availability has changed.
- 2008
Ne-Yo refreshes the classic jingle
[1]Wrigley collaborates with Ne-Yo on a contemporary update of “Kiss a Little Longer.”
- 2004
Australian re-release
[1]Big Red returns to the Australian market after an earlier distribution period.
- 2003
United States formulation change
[1]Some United States Big Red products replace part of their sugar with aspartame and acesulfame potassium.
- 1998
Original jingle campaign ends
[1]The original run of “Kiss a Little Longer” advertising concludes after approximately nineteen years.
- 1979
“Kiss a Little Longer” begins
[1]Big Red begins using its best-known jingle and romantic commercial format.
- 1975
Big Red launches
[1]The William Wrigley Jr. Company introduces Big Red as a cinnamon-flavored chewing gum.
Products and positioning
A distinctive, nostalgic chewing-gum brand built around an intense cinnamon flavor, red visual identity, and memorable romantic advertising. It occupies a differentiated mainstream confectionery position rather than competing primarily on conventional mint or fruit flavors.
Chewing gum · 1975
Big Red cinnamon chewing gum
The core Big Red product is a cinnamon-flavored chewing gum introduced in 1975. Its signature proposition is an intense, warming cinnamon taste, supported by a red visual identity in its principal United States form. The product has been sold in both regular sugared formulations and market-specific variants. In some European markets, the gum has appeared white rather than red, demonstrating that the brand’s color presentation has not been identical worldwide.
Sugar-free chewing gum
Big Red sugar-free variants
Sugar-free versions of Big Red have been exported from Poland to other markets, including the United Kingdom. These products extend the brand’s cinnamon proposition to consumers seeking a sugar-free gum format. Availability and formulation have varied by market, so the sugar-free range should be understood as an international variant rather than a single uniformly distributed global product.
Marketing campaigns
- 2008Ne-Yo “Kiss a Little Longer” update
United States
Wrigley partnered with singer-songwriter Ne-Yo to modernize the classic Big Red jingle for a new advertising context.
Outcome. The collaboration refreshed a heritage advertising asset for contemporary audiences.
- 2007NASCAR sponsorship
United States
Big Red participated in Wrigley gum sponsorship activity involving former Chip Ganassi Racing and Juan Pablo Montoya’s No. 42 car.
Outcome. The sponsorship connected the gum brand with mainstream American motorsport.
- 1979Kiss a Little Longer
United States
Big Red’s signature campaign used a catchy jingle and exaggerated romantic kissing scenes to communicate the gum’s enduring flavor and fresh-breath appeal. The format ran until 1998 and became strongly associated with the brand.
Outcome. The campaign became a durable piece of advertising history and was later parodied in television culture.
Brand decisions
2003
Partial sweetener substitution in selected United States productsOtherBackground
Wrigley adjusted the composition of some regular Big Red gum sold in the United States.
Action taken
Part of the sugar was replaced with aspartame and acesulfame potassium.
Aftermath
The brand continued to include regular sugared products as well as market-specific sugar-free variants.
Recent events
- 2008
Big Red jingle updated with Ne-Yo[1]
Campaign
Wrigley collaborated with singer-songwriter Ne-Yo to refresh the brand’s classic “Kiss a Little Longer” musical property.
- 2007
Big Red becomes associated with Juan Pablo Montoya’s NASCAR sponsorship[1]
Campaign
Big Red sponsored Juan Pablo Montoya’s No. 42 car through its connection with Wrigley-related NASCAR sponsorship activity.
- 2006
Big Red appears in Talladega Nights[1]
Other
The brand was referenced in the mid-credits sequence of the film Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby.
- 2004
Big Red returns to Australia[1]
Product launch
After an earlier Australian run ended near the close of the 1980s, the gum was re-released in Australia.
- 2003
Big Red formulation adjusted in the United States[1]
Other
Wrigley replaced part of the sugar in some United States Big Red products with aspartame and acesulfame potassium.
- 1998
Big Red “Kiss a Little Longer” campaign ends[1]
Campaign
After nearly two decades, Wrigley ended the original run of the brand’s signature jingle campaign.
- 1979
Big Red begins its long-running “Kiss a Little Longer” advertising era[1]
Campaign
The brand introduced a jingle-centered campaign that used extended kissing scenes to dramatize the gum’s flavor and fresh-breath appeal.
- 1975
Big Red introduced by the William Wrigley Jr. Company[1]
Product launch
Wrigley launched Big Red as a cinnamon-flavored chewing gum with a red appearance and a hot, assertive taste.
Sources1 sources
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