History of Wrigley's Gum in WWII

After the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor, all manufacturing materials became hard to acquire. These shortages even affected the production at Wrigley Chewing Gum Company. However, Wrigley continued to make quality chewing gum during WWII.

Raw Materials

• Because of wartime rationing during World War II, the Wrigley Company couldn't get enough raw materials to maintain quality for all the gum they made. Philip Wrigley, son of the founder and president of the company, refused to reduce the quality of his major brands.

Juicy Fruit, Spearmint and Doublemint

• Philip Wrigley decided to keep the quality of Juicy Fruit, Spearmint and Doublemint brands intact. He authorized the shipment of the entire production of these brands to the troops overseas.

Orbit

• By 1944, the company didn't have enough quality materials to make the recipes for their brands so they quit making them. Wrigley's advertised showing an empty Spearmint wrapper with the tag line "Remember this wrapper." It introduced an inferior gum under the name Orbit. Wrigley advertised that it was good, but not up to the Wrigley quality. In 1946 Wrigley reintroduced Juicy Fruit, Spearmint and Doublemint to the public.