Big League Chew
Big League Chew is a brand of bubble gum that is shredded and packaged in an aluminum foil pouch. It was created by Portland Mavericks left-handed pitcher Rob Nelson, and pitched to the Wrigley Company (longtime owners of the Chicago Cubs) by former New York Yankee All-Star Jim Bouton, a Maverick teammate of Nelson's, as a fun alternative to the unhealthy tobacco-chewing habit common among ballplayers in the 1970s. Over 750 million pouches of Big League Chew have been sold since 1980.[1] Big League Chew was introduced in May 1980, in the traditional pink color already seen in established brands of bubble gum. The cartoony packaging, originally designed by artist Bill Mayer, comes in flashy colors such as neon green and bright purple.
Currently, it is manufactured in the USA by Ford Gum & Machine Company in Akron, NY, after taking over distribution rights from Wrigley and moving production from Mexico at the end of 2010.[2]
The original advertising slogan throughout the 1980s, which is still featured today, was, "You're in the big leagues when you're into Big League Chew!"
Notes
- ↑ "Big League Chew: An Oral History".
- ↑ Fink, James (October 19, 2010). "Ford Gum bites into Big League Chew". Business First. Buffalo. Archived from the original on 23 October 2010. Retrieved 2010-10-19.
External links
- Big League Chew: An Oral History by Anna Mcdonald
- Carson Cistulli interviews Rob Nelson, co-inventor of Big League Chew
- Discussion with Nelson about the growth and management of Big League Chew
- Ford Gum information page
- ESPN Los Angeles article about adding images to packaging