Wrigley's

Wm. Wrigley Jr. Company, generally known as the Wrigley Company, is an American multinational confectionery business whose heritage is rooted in chewing gum. William Wrigley Jr. founded the company in Chicago on April 1, 1891. He initially sold scouring soap and later baking powder, using chewing gum as a promotional premium. The gum proved more commercially promising than the original products, leading the company to concentrate on confectionery and build a portfolio that eventually included some of the world's most recognizable gum and candy brands. For much of the twentieth century, Wrigley's identity was anchored by Wrigley's Spearmint, Juicy Fruit and Doublemint. These products were supported by broad distribution, highly recognizable packaging and sustained mass-market advertising. During the Second World War, Philip K. Wrigley directed the company's available output of its principal gum brands to the U.S. armed forces while using the “Remember this Wrapper” campaign to preserve consumer familiarity during rationing. The business later expanded internationally under William Wrigley III, establishing facilities in multiple countries and developing sugar-free gum as a major growth platform. The company broadened beyond traditional gum through acquisitions and innovation. Extra, introduced in the United States in 1984, helped establish sugar-free gum as a mainstream category. Wrigley acquired the Life Savers and Altoids businesses from Kraft Foods in 2005 and acquired an initial 80 percent interest in Russian chocolatier A. Korkunov in 2007. Other product and brand initiatives included 5 Gum, launched in the United States in 2007, as well as mints, candy and specialized products. Wrigley also established the Wrigley Science Institute in 2006 to study subjects associated with gum chewing, including oral health, concentration, stress and weight management. Mars, Incorporated announced an agreement to acquire Wrigley in 2008 for approximately $23 billion. The transaction made Wrigley a Mars subsidiary and brought its gum and candy portfolio into a broader confectionery organization. In 2016, Mars announced the combination of Wrigley with its North American chocolate business to create Mars Wrigley Confectionery, later associated with the Mars Snacking organization. Wrigley therefore remains a distinct heritage and brand portfolio within Mars rather than an independently listed public company. The company is described as the world's largest manufacturer and marketer of chewing gum. Its portfolio has included Extra, Orbit, Doublemint, Juicy Fruit, Wrigley's Spearmint, 5 Gum, Skittles, Starburst, Life Savers and Altoids, although brand ownership and operating arrangements are managed within Mars. Wrigley has reported 21 production facilities in 14 countries and a worldwide commercial presence. Its former global headquarters, the Wrigley Building on Chicago's Michigan Avenue, was sold in 2011; the company has since been based at its Global Innovation Center in Chicago. Wrigley's contemporary business scope combines gum, mints, chewy candy and related confectionery, with international distribution and product innovation conducted through Mars.

Wm. Wrigley Jr. Company was founded in Chicago in 1891 by William Wrigley Jr. The original business sold soap and baking powder. Gum was initially included as a sales incentive with baking powder, but customers showed greater interest in the gum than in the primary product. Wrigley responded by reorganizing the business around chewing gum. The company introduced Juicy Fruit and Wrigley's Spearmint in 1893. It built demand through aggressive, highly visible advertising and through retail placement that made gum an easy impulse purchase. Newspaper advertising, magazine campaigns, billboards and promotional sampling helped convert regional products into national brands. In 1907, Wrigley expanded its use of organized advertising and promotional media. Radio sponsorships and branded entertainment later added a new channel for maintaining consumer familiarity. A notable early direct-marketing effort took place in 1915, when the company distributed free gum samples to a very large number of American households identified through telephone directories. During the First World War period, Wrigley directed some of its established gum production toward military customers and used advertising featuring an empty wrapper to reassure civilians that the familiar products would return. After the war, demand for Spearmint, Doublemint and Juicy Fruit recovered strongly. The brand portfolio developed throughout the twentieth century. Doublemint became associated with paired performers and coordinated advertising, while Juicy Fruit was repeatedly adapted to appeal to younger consumers. Big Red, introduced in 1975, used a cinnamon flavor and western-themed advertising. Sugar-free products became increasingly significant as consumers sought gum for freshness and as an alternative to sugar confectionery. Orbit, Extra and other brands were promoted with messages concerning clean-mouth sensation, flavor duration and oral-care benefits, subject to the rules and claims permitted in each market. By the late twentieth and early twenty-first centuries, Wrigley had become a global gum and confectionery operator. Campaigns addressed changing social habits, including advertising that presented gum as a source of refreshment when smoking was not appropriate. The company also sought younger consumers through experiential marketing, digital activity, sampling, music, gaming, university events and festival programs. In April 2008, Mars agreed to buy Wrigley for approximately $23 billion, with the announced consideration set at $80 per share. Berkshire Hathaway helped finance the transaction alongside other financial institutions and acquired an investment interest. The transaction closed later that year. Wrigley became a private, stand-alone subsidiary of Mars, and the combined confectionery operation brought together Mars chocolate brands with Wrigley's gum and non-chocolate portfolio. The business was subsequently organized within Mars's confectionery activities and is now generally referred to as Mars Wrigley. The historic Wrigley's name remains attached to a portfolio of globally distributed gum brands.

• 2008

  Mars acquisition completed

  [3]Mars completes acquisition of Wrigleydrugstorenews.com

  Mars completed its acquisition of Wrigley, making the company a private subsidiary.

• 1975

  Big Red introduced

  [5]Chewing gum marketing historytedium.co

  Wrigley added the cinnamon-flavored Big Red gum brand.

• 1915

  Large-scale direct sampling campaign

  [5]Chewing gum marketing historytedium.co

  The company mailed free gum samples to households identified through U.S. telephone directories.

• 1907

  Expanded national advertising

  [1]Wm. Wrigley Jr. Company overviewencyclopedia.com

  Wrigley intensified organized advertising and promotional activity to reinforce its national brands.

• 1893

  Juicy Fruit and Wrigley's Spearmint introduced

  [6]Juicy Fruit and Wrigley's Spearmint introducedsaturdayeveningpost.com

  The company launched two of its enduring gum names.

• 1892

  Chewing gum becomes the successful promotional product

  [4]Forbes company profileforbes.com

  Gum offered with baking powder proved more popular than the original product and redirected the company's strategy.

• 1891

  Wrigley business founded in Chicago

  [4]Forbes company profileforbes.com

  William Wrigley Jr. established the business as a seller of soap and baking powder.

Accessible, widely distributed chewing gum and confectionery built around lasting flavor, freshness, flavor variety and everyday impulse consumption.

• Chewing gum · 1893

  Wrigley's Spearmint

  A foundational Wrigley gum brand introduced in the 1890s and built around spearmint flavor and a long-running promise of sustained chewing flavor. It became one of the company's core international names and was repeatedly supported by print, billboard, broadcast and later television advertising.

• Chewing gum · 1893

  Juicy Fruit

  One of Wrigley's earliest signature brands, Juicy Fruit is associated with a distinctive sweet fruit flavor and broad mass-market distribution. Its advertising has often emphasized freshness, sociability and appeal to younger consumers.

• Chewing gum

  Doublemint

  A long-running Wrigley gum brand historically known for advertising featuring pairs of performers and a coordinated social identity. The brand has been marketed around mint flavor, freshness and the idea of sharing or pairing.

• Chewing gum · 1975

  Big Red

  A cinnamon-flavored gum introduced in 1975. Its early advertising used a western and country-inspired visual style, distinguishing it from Wrigley's mint and fruit brands.

• Sugar-free chewing gum

  Orbit

  A sugar-free gum brand in the Wrigley portfolio, commonly positioned around a clean-mouth feeling, breath freshness and everyday chewing. During wartime periods, Orbit was also associated with civilian gum production using available ingredients.

• Sugar-free chewing gum

  Extra

  A major sugar-free gum brand marketed through flavor variety, freshness and oral-care-related messaging. Regional campaigns have used sampling, digital media, university activations, festivals and cause marketing to broaden its appeal.

• Sugar-free chewing gum

  5 gum

  A contemporary gum brand built around an intense sensory proposition. Its campaigns have used futuristic imagery, sound, interactive digital experiences and fan-generated social content under the broader 'Stimulate Your Senses' platform.

• 2026

  Wrigley sues Terphogz over Skittles marks

  Wrigley sued Terphogz, the maker of THC-infused candy Zkittlez, alleging trademark infringement involving Wrigley's "Taste the Rainbow" slogan and the Skittles "S" logo. The article also reports related claims, including false designation of origin, unfair competition, trademark dilution and cybersquatting. It does not report a court determination.

  Source

Read more

• 2012Stimulate Your Senses

  South Africa

  A print campaign for Wrigley's 5 gum used sensory-oriented creative to express the brand's central proposition.

  Source
• 1915Telephone-directory sampling

  United States

  Wrigley sent free gum samples to a very large number of households identified through telephone directories, using an addressable medium to encourage trial.

  Outcome. The campaign is regarded as an early example of mass direct marketing and increased consumer exposure to the brand.

  Source
• 1907Early national advertising and radio promotion

  United States

  Wrigley expanded advertising through print, billboards, radio sponsorships and branded entertainment, helping establish gum as a national consumer product.

  Outcome. The activity reinforced recognition of Wrigley's core brands and supported national distribution.

  Source
• Remember this wrapper

  United States

  During wartime supply constraints, advertising showed an empty Wrigley's wrapper and encouraged consumers to remember the established brands until normal civilian availability returned.

  Outcome. The message maintained brand memory during shortages and helped support renewed demand after the war.

  Source
• 5 gum: What it feels like to chew 5 gum

  United States

  A multimedia campaign translated the sensation of chewing 5 gum into futuristic visual and sonic effects across television, cinema, print and an interactive website.

  Outcome. The campaign gave 5 gum a distinctive sensory identity and supported its positioning toward younger consumers.

  Source
• Extra and 5 gum youth marketing push

  United Kingdom

  Wrigley planned a long-term push for Extra and 5 gum using television, sampling, social media, fashion, music, gaming, film, festivals and university activity, including a strawberry Extra variant.

  Outcome. The initiative aimed to attract teenagers and younger adults back to the chewing-gum category.

  Source
• Extra Smile Back Project

  United Kingdom

  Extra partnered with Action for Children and linked sales of sugar-free gum packs with donations supporting oral-health education for families and children.

  Outcome. The campaign connected brand sales with a community and oral-health cause.

  Source

• 2008

  Mars acquisition of WrigleyM&A

  Background

  Mars sought greater scale across chocolate, gum and non-chocolate confectionery, while Wrigley offered a strong global gum portfolio.

  Action taken

  Mars agreed to acquire Wrigley for approximately $23 billion, with announced consideration of $80 per share. Wrigley became a private, stand-alone subsidiary.

  Aftermath

  The transaction combined two major family-controlled confectionery businesses and later led to the organization of the operation as Mars Wrigley.

  Transaction value. $23 billion approximate acquisition value (2008)

  • The Hershey Company — Analysts suggested the combination could pressure other large confectionery companies to consider strategic responses.
  • Cadbury Schweppes — The enlarged Mars-Wrigley group was discussed as a development that could influence the competitive dynamics of global confectionery.

  Source

• 1892

  Shift from baking powder to chewing gumStrategy

  Background

  Chewing gum offered as a promotional item attracted more interest than the soap and baking-powder products originally sold by the company.

  Action taken

  The business reorganized around gum and developed a dedicated branded portfolio.

  Aftermath

  The shift created the foundation for Wrigley's long-term position in chewing gum.

  Source

• 2026-10-30

  Wrigley sues Terphogz over Skittles marks[12]Wrigley sues Terphogz over Skittles marksmarketing-interactive.com

  Reported: 2026-10-30

  Wrigley sued Terphogz, maker of THC-infused candy Zkittlez, alleging trademark infringement involving Wrigley's “Taste the Rainbow” slogan and Skittles “S” logo. The article also reports related claims including false designation of origin, unfair competition, trademark dilution and cybersquatting; it does not report a court determination.

1. 1Wm. Wrigley Jr. Company overviewencyclopedia.com
2. 2SEC merger announcementsec.gov
3. 3Mars completes acquisition of Wrigleydrugstorenews.com
4. 4Forbes company profileforbes.com
5. 5Chewing gum marketing historytedium.co
6. 6Juicy Fruit and Wrigley's Spearmint introducedsaturdayeveningpost.com
7. 75 gum: What it feels like to chew 5 gumjust-food.com
8. 8Stimulate Your Sensesadsoftheworld.com
9. 9Extra and 5 gum youth marketing pushcampaignlive.co.uk
10. 10Extra Smile Back Projectwarc.com
11. 11Mars acquisition of Wrigleycnbc.com
12. 12Wrigley sues Terphogz over Skittles marksmarketing-interactive.com